


The Game

by Raiven_Raine



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Established Relationship, Fluff, Love, M/M, Male Slash, Multiple Partners, Polyamory, Romance, Slash, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-02-03
Packaged: 2018-05-13 05:11:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5696272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Raiven_Raine/pseuds/Raiven_Raine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The majority of The Game is rated T with the exception of a rape scene (34 minutes). *Noncon/Dubcon Warning*</p><div class="center">
  <p> - - - - - - - - - - - -</p>
</div>SS Gavin is struggling with losing himself in the games people play. Will he become a piece, or a player? His biggest fear is to turn into a man just like Kellogg, used by others to do dirty work, blindly obeying whatever they tell him to do because he has nothing to live for.
            </blockquote>





	1. Like a Cyclone

**Author's Note:**

> ((I haven't written in years and I was a little rusty starting out, just planning on writing a bit of smut...but it turned into a story. This is part 1, in which I learn how to write, once again. there is a small bit of spoiler involving the Institute and the SS's spouse's killer.))
> 
> ** ETA - changed/added subchapter **  
>   
>   
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The relationship between Sole Survivor Gavin and John Hancock is tested when Hancock gets kidnapped, forcing Gavin to play killer lapdog for a group of goons who know no bounds. Something seems a little off, however, as subtle clues point to something more within the game.  
>   
>   
> 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **** TRIGGER WARNING! - The scene titled '34 Minutes' involves graphic rape.**

  


_**"When They Come For Me"** _

I am not a pattern to be followed  
The pill that I'm on is a tough one to swallow  
I'm not a criminal, not a role model  
Not a born leader, I'm a tough act to follow  
I am not the fortune and the fame or the same person telling you to forfeit the game  
I came in the ring like a dog on a chain and then found out the underbelly's sicker than it seems  


  
  
  


###  **\- Prologue - Clarity**

“Don’t make me run, dammit!” Hancock jogged after Gavin then glanced behind, “Awe fuck…” He was suddenly persuaded into a dead run by the loud guttural growl of the pissed off deathclaw behind them. He caught up and grabbed Gav by the jacket, yanking him to the side into an old busted up house. John slammed the door closed and leaned against it for two seconds too long. Three sharp claws busted through the old rotten wood of the door right next to his shoulder and shoved him into the room as it was jarred open. He ducked his head and turned to see the beast attempting to jerk its claws free from the wood as it roared angrily. Gavin grabbed the ghoul by the arm and ran upstairs with him just as the beast ripped the door apart and turned its attention back to the pursuit.

Gavin slammed the bedroom door closed behind them as Hancock busted out bits of remaining glass from a window and climbed out onto the roof. Just as Gav put one foot out the window, the beast crashed through the door, using its horns this time, and immediately took a swipe at the fleeing man. Long sharp claws raked across his side and hooked onto the small pack he was carrying on his back. Gavin quickly shrugged it off as the deathclaw tried to tug him back into the room and he ended up falling out of the window and rolling off the edge of the roof. 

Hancock grabbed him as he fell past and was pulled off balance to fall right after the man. Gav caught himself briefly on the ledge of the roof, which promptly crumbled under his hands to drop him heavily to the ground. John landed beside him and laid on the ground looking up at the beast angrily reaching out the window and raking the roof apart in frustration. 

_He laughed._

John lay sprawled out in the dirt laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation as Gavin stood and dusted off the seat of his pants. Their brief interlude was disrupted as the deathclaw started ripping apart the window frame to climb awkwardly out onto the roof. 

“Oh shit!” Hancock scrambled to his feet and ran after Gavin once again as the livid animal jumped down from the roof after them. 

They ran into the next house, which was missing an entire corner and half the front wall up to the collapsing roof. They ran up the stairs, which were falling apart and riddled with holes and debris from the surrounding structure crumbling in on itself. The beast ran up after them and the stairs collapsed underneath its weight, burying it under a heap of rubble. 

Hancock stood in the bathroom and glanced down at the deathclaw as it struggled under the mess. “Dumbass…” He chucked a brick at the struggling animal, “I fucking hate running.” 

It finally righted itself and tossed wood aside angrily, climbing out of the dusty pile of former staircase. Pacing underneath them, it roared again in frustration at the men above. The beast grabbed the edge of the broken floor near Hancock’s feet and pulled, ripping off a chunk of the floorboards in a loud crack of splinters. John backed up with Gavin as the deathclaw grabbed a second portion of the floor and broke it, as well. They pressed up against the wall between the sink and bathtub as the entire floor started to slant down toward the animal. 

Gav hit John on the arm with the back of his hand to get his attention then pulled him into the small space between the tub and wall. Bracing against the wood behind, they set their feet heavily against the edge of the tub and shoved against it. The wood and old rusted pipes underneath cracked and freed it from the rusty plumbing as the floor sunk further. 

_Gravity did the rest._

The tub lurched forward and the men fell as the entire bathroom started to collapse out from under them. The large basin slid to the edge then tumbled down, smashing the deathclaw in the face as it roared up at them. One side of the tub struck its face, knocked it down, then fell over onto the beast’s chest with a heavy thud. 

Gavin slid down after the tub and tumbled over the edge, landing right inside the basin. Hancock rolled over the edge and landed on top of the deathclaw’s head...knife first. He twisted the blade in the thing’s eye, then stabbed it once more for good measure until it stopped moving. Then he stabbed it one more time simply because he was pissed off. 

“Asshole.” He wiped his blade on the cuff of his dark leather travel pants and stood up, dusting a bit of wood splinterings from his shoulder nonchalantly. He turned to the tub and proffered a hand to Gavin, “I’ve done a lotta weird shit, but throwing a bathtub at a deathclaw has to be up there in the top ten somewhere.”

He took his hand and hefted himself up out of the tub, stepping out carefully, “Well shit, this whole situation is fucking weird to me so--”

Hancock suddenly grabbed Gavin’s jacket and pulled it open and touched his side. He withdrew wet fingertips, rubbing them together for a moment as he looked down at the blood streaking the inside of the tub, “Think ya might need a bandaid.”

###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Hancock knelt down in the bedroom and rummaged through the spilled contents of Gavin’s pack that the deathclaw had flung across the room before it went out the window. He tossed a bobblehead, two circuit boards and three comic books aside and grumbled, “Your fascination with trash nearly got ya killed, dipshit.” He finally found a stim pack and lifted it up, examining the broken syringe with a sigh.

_It had been their last one._

Gav dropped his coat to the floor and winced at the pain trying to remove his blood soaked shirt had caused. Now that adrenaline subsided and the damage was brought to his attention, the gash above his hip hurt like a bitch. John dropped the broken stim pack and gently took hold of the hem of Gavin’s shirt, carefully peeling it from the sticky drying blood caked around the wound. He slowly pulled the shirt up and off then pressed his fingertips to Gavin’s ribs. The claw ripped a good nine-inch tear in the tender skin between hip and rib, which would have been much more messy and fatal with a bit more pressure. 

Hancock fished a jet canister from his pocket and handed it to Gavin, “Take two hits and call me in the morning…” He grinned as Gav took the jet and held it awkwardly in one hand. He had never tried it, not for John’s lack of constantly offering. He turned and picked up the crumpled sheet off the bed and cut two long strips from it, “Ya know, when we first started traveling together I had some serious doubts about your survivability.”

“Doubts?” Gavin shook the jet and hesitated a moment before taking a deep puff.

John laughed, “Yeah, I figured you’d be in a gutter by sundown.”

Gav coughed, “Gee thanks…” He coughed again then took another hit, held it, then wobbled slightly as he exhaled and a wave of dizzying euphoria hit him upside the head. 

Hancock turned and grabbed him by the arms, “Woah...Shit…” he laughed, “Ya gunna be okay, killer?” He helped him sit on the edge of the bed and knelt down on the floor in front of him. He watched Gavin’s face intently as he started wrapping the sheet strips firmly around his abdomen. He was amused at Gav’s reaction to the jet and chuckled quietly as the man pressed his palms to his eyes and cussed under his breath at the world tracing streaks around him. 

He was just tying off the end of the wrap when Gavin put his hands down on John’s shoulders and stared down at him with a soft expression, eyes tracking slightly as he regarded the ghoul’s face. John considered the look in the man’s eye and he gave the smallest hint of a smile up at him. The two of them had been traveling together for nearly three months now and had done quite a lot in that time that drew them pretty close, but Hancock had never seen this particular look before. 

Gavin tilted his head with a curious expression as he slid one hand up onto John’s neck and traced his thumb along his jaw slowly. Hancock touched the back of his hand with his fingertips and furrowed his brow, “Gav…” He ran his fingers onto the man’s forearm, “You aren’t thinking clearly.”

“I am.” He persisted, “I’ve been thinking clearly for a few weeks now…” A languid smile crossed his face as he slowly blinked, “And you wanna know what I think?”

John moved closer and narrowed his eyes quizzically, “Morbid curiosity?”

Gavin reached up with his other hand and removed John’s hat, “Not morbid at all…”

  
  


###  **Like A Cyclone**

Gavin rolled over in the bed and his arm fell into the empty spot beside him. He groaned lightly and slowly pushed himself up onto one elbow. He wiped his eyes and blinked a few times, the dimly lit room coming into focus. He must have been thoroughly exhausted to have slept soundly enough for his bedmate to slip away in the night. Or was it morning? He grabbed his pip boy that lay on the headboard and blinked stupidly at the time. Noon.

With a sigh he sat up further and leaned forward, head in his hands, rubbing his sleepy eyes with his palms. Where had Hancock gone off to, now? He eyed the empty spot beside him and snorted to himself with a little grin. That man was like a wraith. Hancock could probably sneak up beside someone in a crowded room, slit their throat and merrily wander off without anyone ever seeing him. Gavin’s smile widened as he thought of a time Hancock did almost exactly that. Who needs a stealth boy when you can move like Hancock did? 

He finally got out of bed, his need to piss outweighing his comfort at the moment. Gavin lingered in the bathroom, looking at his reflection in the mirror. He traced a finger lightly along the scar that split his left eyebrow and continued down his cheek, as he often did. Little reminders. Gavin hated mirrors. His hair was a perpetual mess and he attempted to pat it down to look presentable, but it was no use. He had a nice growth of scruff on his chin and thought about shaving, but then shrugged and turned from the wretched mirror, “Ah, fuck it.”

As he came out of the bathroom he heard Hancock coming up the stairs…Singing. 

“Like an earthquake, starting to roll  
I felt my world shake, out of control  
Like a world war starting to brew…”

He swung the door open and continued directly at Gavin, “Baby, it’s just you!”

Gavin let out a little laugh as Hancock half danced and half walked up to him, stripping his red frock jacket playfully as he went.

“Like a cyclone, wild and extreme  
I got my mind blown, stalking your dreams  
Waking up without a clue…”

He did a spin and moved close, his hand touching Gavin’s bare chest lightly, “Cause baby, it’s just you…”

Gavin placed his hand over Hancock’s and pressed it more firmly to his chest. With a smile, he sang the next verse to John quietly.

"You leave me breathless, weak in the knees  
I'm feeling reckless, pardon me please  
The fallout's blowing through…”

He smiled down at him and nearly whispered, “But baby, it’s just you…”

Hancock chuckled and kissed Gavin firmly before moving back a bit and staring up at him with that endearing little grin of his. Gavin couldn’t help but smile back at him, “See this, right here? This is why I can’t live without you.” Gav gave a little chuckle, “You always know how to make me smile.” There wasn't much in life anymore that made him genuinely smile like John did. Gavin paused and raised an eyebrow, “Where you at the bar?”

Hancock’s smile widened a bit, “Maybe.”

Gavin cocked his head to the side, “How high are you?”

John pushed away slowly and spread his arms, still smiling innocently, “I’m not!”

With a snort Gavin reached for a bottle of water, “So,” Gavin took a drink and grinned, “ _That’s_ what’s wrong with you.”

Hancock plopped down on the sofa, leaning over the arm, nonchalantly kicking off his boots and putting his feet up on the cushion. He casually took his hat off, flipped it once in the air and caught it, then set it on the table beside him. Gavin stared at him for a few moments, appreciating the man’s demeanor. He was so easy to be around. He seemed to enjoy life and the smile he almost always wore made him look so very innocent when he was really anything but. It was easy to forget what a ruthless, and efficient, killer Hancock could be. John nonchalantly examined the back of his hand, picked at a nail, then glanced up at Gavin with his gleaming black eyes, “So, Gav...I had an epiphany.”

Gavin seemed to suddenly remember himself and casually sat down next to Hancock on the sofa, right in front of him so he had to turn slightly to see his face, “Yeah?”

John didn’t speak for a moment as if gathering his thoughts. Propping himself more upright against the arm of the sofa, he glanced up at Gavin, his face serious, “All this running away and using chems to escape situations I find to be unpleasant...I just have a tough time dealing with emotions. Chems let me escape anything I’m feeling…good or bad.” He looked down for an instant as if ashamed before continuing, “This thing between us, I don’t want any of it dulled. I want to feel everything for once, even though I might be afraid. When I’m with you...I dunno, I just feel more high than I have ever been. I can’t get enough and I don’t want anything else.” He sat up a bit more, leaning closer to Gavin, “You are my new favorite ride.”

Gavin grinned, “Can I assume you mean that in more ways than one?”

John moved closer and placed one hand on his shoulder, “Absolutely.” He kissed Gavin firmly, then again more passionately as Gav moved down over him in a slow languid motion.

  
  


###  **Kill Them All**

Gavin shivered and woke up. It was cold and he was alone. He put his hand on the edge of the couch where Hancock had fallen asleep with him earlier and he sighed. _Again._ Gav sat up and ran his hands through his hair. He hated it when John vanished while they slept. Ghouls didn’t seem to need much sleep, but he could at least say something or not be so damn sneaky about it. He got up and stretched, gently rubbed at the constantly itchy scar over his side and found a pair of pants to put on. He searched for a shirt and found the busted lamp on the floor which had been the latest inanimate casualty of their heated tryst.

Grinning to himself, he pulled on his boots and used the edge to scoot the glass of the bulb into a neat, out of the way, pile that he figured he would deal with later. _He wouldn't._ Just like the broken coffee table, two chairs, a door and the ceiling fan, Gavin would completely forget about it until Fahrenheit grumbled about it later on. He noticed John’s red coat was still on the floor where he had dropped it and his hat still sat on the table, but everything else was gone. 

“Where the hell are you?” He spoke into the dark room that was lit only by the bathroom light shining through the the half open door. Gavin grabbed his pip boy and strapped it to his arm, noting the time once again. Only 8:37. Not bad. His stomach loudly mentioned that it was time for food. 

Hancock, being a ghoul, never had food in his quarters. Fahrenheit had snacks in the office sometimes, but Gavin quickly learned she really wasn’t the sharing type. _Unfortunate._ Sometimes she still glanced at Gavin in a way that said plainly, “If you hurt Hancock, I will gut you.” Gav wrinkled his nose at the thought. He wasn’t sure if he liked her or not. He should, they both had the same intentions. She was just so unnerving, serious and never said much. However, she was the only person who could beat him at chess, which seemed impressive. 

Gavin walked out of the statehouse and glanced up and down the streets. He smiled lazily and nodded at people he passed as he made his way to The Third Rail. Gav smiled at the ghoul inside as he entered, “Hey, is Hancock here?”

“He was.” Ham shrugged impassively, “He left a couple hours ago with some newcomer.” The bouncer shook his head and added, “didn’t catch a name.”

Gavin narrowed his eyes and stared at nothing in particular, “Newcomer?”

Ham spread his hands, “No clue, friend.” 

Gav wandered downstairs anyway and took in the room. All regulars. He found Magnolia sitting at the bar drinking water and he sidled up next to her, “Hey Maggs, have you seen Hancock?”

She smiled and turned to face Gavin, “Frequently.”

He smirked at her, “You know what I mean. Ham said he left with someone.”

She looked him up and down then cocked her head playfully to the side, “awe, you jealous? Shouldn’t be. That man is stupid for you.” She placed a hand on his chest and stepped close, “Pity…”

Gavin smiled sweetly at her for a moment then continued, “Seriously, Magnolia.”

She sighed and slid her hand reluctantly off Gavin’s chest, “I don’t know, hon, he was some guy I haven’t ever seen. He dressed somewhat well, but he looked uncomfortable and nervous. His clothes didn’t fit right.” She furrowed her brow as if just realizing something, “sorry, I thought nothing of it...but now...I don’t know. He was very much out of place. Like a super mutant in a nursery.”

Gavin felt his chest tighten at the implication. In his experience within the new Commonwealth, it was generally raiders or folks desperate for caps who ran around wearing clothes that didn't fit right. He was about to ask where they went or if she overheard them talking at all when a man cleared his throat behind him.

“You looking for someone?”

Gav turned and glared at the man behind him. He had never seen him before, but he could spot a snake from a mile away. The soldier’s cold stare bore into the man, making him take an uncomfortable step back. Had this particular snake been waiting for him?

He took a breath and tried his best to put back on his calm demeanor, “Come with me.” 

Gavin quietly stared a hole into the back of the man’s head as he walked up the stairs. This guy seemed edgy like a rat in a cage full of cats. After a few moments, he stalked along after the stranger. 

They walked out of the front gate of Goodneighbor in silence, then down the dark street a ways. The man opened the door to an old musty building and stood inside, looking around past Gavin with a hint of nervousness. 

Gavin grunted impatiently, “Well?”

The man stepped closer to Gavin and spoke quietly, “Here’s how it is…” He pulled a holotape from his pocket and handed it to Gavin, who took it reluctantly. 

He waited as Gavin opened the player on his pip boy and popped the tape in, slowly closing the player with a click, his steely eyes never leaving the man’s face. He was pretty sure he didn’t want to listen to the tape. 

At first the recording was muffled and sounded like some sort of scuffle, some strange scraping sound and a few thuds. Finally a calm cold voice spoke, “Ah yes, the infamous vault dweller I have heard so much about. I have your pet ghoul.”

there was a small pause for a moment then Gavin heard Hancock in the background growling, “Kill them all!”

Gavin’s heart stopped and his stomach lurched. The voice continued, “He sure is a feisty one.”  
  


  
  


###  **Control**

Gavin breathed out slow and even, squeezing the trigger and smiling to himself with satisfaction at the pink mist that exploded in his sights. Another body dropped on the rooftop across the field. That was the last of the guards patrolling the outside of the factory, and, hopefully, he had gotten all of the turrets. The man sitting on the hill next to him watched through the scope of his own rifle as the head of last patrolmen burst like a melon in the distance.

Gavin carefully watched the man stand up and brush off his trousers, speaking down at Gavin in an annoyingly controlling manner one would use with a dog in training, “Get up. Time to see what you are really worth. Get in there and clean up.”

Gav rolled his eyes and slowly got to his feet, making a point to stand close to the man and stare directly into his eyes until the man, McKinny as he was called, got uncomfortable and looked away. It was the one thing he had control of at the moment so he exploited it every chance he could. 

He angrily grabbed the sheathed knife from McKinny’s hand and clipped it to his belt. The man narrowed his eyes and pulled the pistol away just as Gavin was about to snatch it up, as well. He spoke in a manner that seemed like a parent correcting a child and flashed an annoying toothy grin, “Now now, don’t be so eager.”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Hancock licked the blood from his swollen split lip, tonguing it and grimacing at the pain. He flexed his shoulders as well as he could with his wrists bound behind him to the chair. _Too tight._ He wiggled his fingers and tried in vain to adjust his arms into a more comfortable position.

He let out a loud pointed sigh as he glared daggers at the back of his guard’s head. The man ignored him completely, leaning against a railing and watching out of an observation window to the open floor below. John hated being ignored, even if it was from his captor. He rocked in the chair in protest and the legs thudded and squealed against the metal floor. Hancock spoke in a low gravelly tone, “I’m gunna kill you…”

The man didn’t turn around, he persisted in ignoring Hancock. Which further pissed him off. He continued to rock the chair defiantly until the man finally turned around and spoke sharply, “Stop that.”

Hancock grinned maliciously, his black eyes were narrowed and full of hate. Well good, he still had some power. He stared at the man until he turned away once more. John knew the look he gave that man was unsettling. He hoped it made him sick. John had been sitting in the chair for hours, possibly a full day by now. He had listened to the things they were making Gavin do. Everything.

First it wasn’t so bad. Clear out a factory full of gunners as some sort of 'warm up' as his guard had referred to it. He had caught parts of a discussion from the other room about 'poking a bear'. Then he heard them making more plans for Gav. _Their dog,_ they called him. Hancock seethed when they said it. They started to call Gavin that more frequently, noticing how much it angered the ghoul and Gav both. They were going to turn ‘their dog’ loose on Diamond City, which Hancock didn’t like but could possibly shrug off...but after Diamond City, they commented that he was to raze Goodneighbor. John wouldn’t have that. Not as long as he was still alive.  
  


  
  


###  **34 Minutes**

Gavin stepped outside, blinking at the bright late afternoon sunlight as it hit him. _How long had he been inside?_ He shielded his eyes with his forearm and stood waiting for the others to notice him. Finally, the four men out on the hillside sauntered up, glancing around the area and smiling appreciatively at the dead bodies laying about. McKinny pat Gavin on the head, “Good boy.”

Two of the men, which Gavin noted were called Gauge and Tennet, kicked at the corpse of a dead attack dog. Gavin ignored them for the time and bent down to wipe the drying blood off the knife blade in the yellow grass. His hand was sticky with nearly dry blood, all the way up his forearm. He didn’t care, he was going to leave it there for effect until it all flaked away. He wanted to continuously remind these assholes what he was capable of.

McKinny took the knife from Gavin, examined it, then placed it back in the sheath before snapping it back onto his own belt. He took the gun, which he noted hadn’t been fired even one time. He snorted at the fact Gavin had killed everyone inside with only the knife as he double checked the pistol chamber before dropping it in his pack.

Gauge and Tennet approached Gav, smirking stupidly like preteens telling crude jokes. In the time he had spent with these four, he quickly learned to hate those two in particular. Gavin stood defiantly, unmoving, as they stepped closer. Gauge grabbed Gavin by a fistful of his hair and jerked his head backward as Tennet wrapped the dead dog’s collar around his neck with some difficulty. He struggled, managing to punch Gauge in the ribs. He could have easily killed him. He could have killed all of them.

 _Could have._ If they hadn’t continued to remind him that sending Hancock back to Goodneighbor in pieces was an option lest he play nice. As Tennet buckled the collar and released him, Gauge gave Gavin a hard knee to the solar plexus and shoved him away, forcing him to double over with a grunt he wished hadn’t been drawn forth. He had learned earlier that he wasn’t allowed to fight back. Gauge was constantly hitting him and the time he did retaliate in the beginning issued him a punishment in the form of McKinny tattling on him like a fucking child, which got Hancock hurt in repercussion.

Gavin slowly righted himself, attempting to hide the pain in his gut, as he reached for the collar to remove it. McKinny laughed, “No! Leave it on,” his voice mocked, “It suits you.”

Gav glared in a manner that read, _‘you cannot be serious’_ , but let it remain there around his neck for now. He imagined strangling the man to death with the thing, which made him smile sardonically. McKinny nervously shifted and opened the door to the building, yanking Gavin roughly inside by his arm.

McKinny made contact with the other people, who were fuck only knew where, every hour exactly. He had a special code phrase he spoke that changed every time. Gavin hadn’t figured out any pattern to it, he thought it must be memorized. If Gavin wasn’t cooperating to their liking, Hancock paid for it. Gav hated that. He hated _them_. He constantly looked for an opportunity to get out. Gavin knew they couldn’t just keep doing whatever they wanted to him. Eventually, he would be done and they would dispose of him and John both. They couldn’t possibly keep holding this tiger by the tail forever.

Gavin had once been in a similar situation. His mind drifted back to a time he and two of his squad members had been taken. It was not pleasant and it had not ended well. He fought off panic a couple of times as his brain recalled his time spent as a P.O.W. and the treatment he received from the Chinese men. This wasn't so bad in comparison. Gavin could endure this. These men were idiots; All he needed was one little opening here. _One small slip up._ He had to be patient and bide his time until it happened. 

McKinny ushered them all inside the building and up to an office. Gauge hauled a body out into the hallway, wrinkling his nose in disgust as entrails drug behind leaving bloody streaks. The rest of them filed into the office, which had a couch and four chairs around a desk in one corner.

Gavin was about to sit on a chair when one of the other men, Kyle, grabbed it out from under him, “No dogs on the furniture.”

Gav crossed his arms over his chest and stared at the laughing man for a moment before going to a wall and sliding down it angrily to the floor. He was sore, pissed the fuck off and exhausted.

_No time for rest. Remain vigilant._

Gauge entered the room with a cheerful look. He held up a strip of leather folded in half and snapped it twice to get everyone’s attention, “Look what I found…”

He snapped it one more time before suddenly hitting Gavin across the face with the looped end of it. He couldn’t react quick enough and caught the sting across his cheek and the side of his head, a deep red welt immediately blossoming into existence. _Fucking hell it had stung!_ Gav struggled with the urge to cup his hand to the smarting welt, he didn't want them to see him succumb to their amusement. Gauge dropped one end in front of Gavin and let it dangle there, his wicked smile growing as Gavin realized it was a dog leash.

That was where he drew the line. He just couldn't do this anymore. Gavin stood up and pointed at Gauge sternly, “Fuck you.”

McKinny stood slowly and tapped a finger on his two-way radio, “Ah ah ah…be a good boy!”

Gavin stepped closer to him and clenched his teeth, “Fuck you, too!” He was done playing around.

The men surrounded him and the leash was suddenly wrapped around his throat just above the dog collar. He barely had enough time to slip three fingers under it and catch the leather as it pulled back tightly. The strap pressed the collar against his neck as he struggled to pull it away with the hand underneath. The men crowded closer while Gauge pulled hard, his face near the back of Gavin’s head.

The edges of his vision started to darken and Gavin panicked inside. Instinct shoved him into motion as he whipped his head back with the force of the pull, right into Gauge’s face. He lifted one knee and stomped his foot outward, hitting Kyle in the ribs and sending him flailing backward to trip over a chair.

The grip on the leash around his neck loosened considerably, which gave the soldier enough room to give two quick left-handed jabs to Tennet’s face before McKinny grabbed his arm and quickly wrenched it up behind his back. Kyle, now recomposed, grabbed Gavin’s other arm, pulling his fingers from under the leather strap. The leash tightened once more and Gavin could feel the anger behind the pulling. 

_Gauge was pissed._

McKinny wrenched Gavin’s arm up to a painful point and he would have been forced to bend forward if it weren’t for Gauge angrily trying to choke him out. He felt the strap twist a few times behind his neck, then the pulling stopped. The leather was still miserably taught against his throat, but he could breathe a little now.

He was violently shoved forward onto the desk, his head hitting so hard it bounced slightly. The room spun and threatened to darken completely around him. They stopped moving. Everything was still. The sounds of panting filled the room, accompanied by the incredibly loud thudding heartbeat in his ears.

Three fat drops of blood splattered on the desk next to Gavin’s face. He rolled his eyes to the side as best he could to see Gauge standing over him from the side of the desk, the ends of the leash in one hand, the other hand pressing against his broken and bleeding nose. He leaned closer to Gavin and growled, “You’re going to regret that.”

He loosened the leash a little and stepped around the front side of the desk, pulling Gavin more onto the surface of the cold metal. McKinny slammed the two-way radio down on the desk next to Gavin’s face, “I will be interested to see which parts of your boyfriend they start cutting off. Fingers? Hands? How about those creepy fucking eyes?”

Gavin grew very still as a lump welled in his throat. _No._ His mind suddenly flashed back to Nora. Him standing there helplessly watching her behind the glass of the cryopod, unable to do anything as she was killed and his son taken from her arms. His mind raced as other images welled up from his past. Watching as his best friend bled out in his arms, blood pouring ouf of his neck around Gavin's hand as he watched helplessly. Squad members tortured. Fellow soldiers, which he had called brothers, killed. His sister... He couldn’t go through that again, he couldn’t lose someone else he loved. It would be his fault. _All his fault._

Gavin croaked quietly, “No...”

The grip on the leash loosened more as McKinny leaned towards Gavin, pretending to have not heard him, “What was that?”

Gavin swallowed, feeling the bruise forming around his neck ache with the motion, and he spoke again, voice cracking but louder, “No…Please...”

McKinny made a show of looking at his pocket watch for a long moment before snapping it closed, “Well, you have 34 minutes to convince me why I shouldn’t.”

Gavin panicked inside. He felt so helpless and vulnerable. He thought of the way Hancock looked in the morning, sleepily smiling up at him. That smile. Gav tried to calm down, sorting through thoughts. 

McKinny pushed his arm further up his back until his shoulder screamed in protest and he leaned closer to Gavin, speaking quietly, “Well? I’m waiting…”

Gav winced and yelled as his shoulder muscles stretched and tore. Gauge poked at his numb face and glared down at the soldier pressed down against the desk, “He can start by making it up to me.”

Gauge finally let the strap around his throat loose, dropping one end and pulling the other fiercely up, running the rough leather along the skin of Gav’s neck as an exclamation mark to his anger. Luckily the collar caught the majority of the burn, but the jagged metal clasp at the end left a deep scratch across the center of his throat up to his ear. The man caught the clasp in his hand as it popped up and he quickly latched it to the large metal ring on the collar. The pressure in Gavin’s shoulder lessened as his arm was slowly released, then Kyle reluctantly let go of his other arm. Gavin stood up slowly, rubbing and cradling his shoulder. His head pounded, his neck and throat hurt and his shoulder felt torn.

The men backed away from him a couple steps as he stood there in the corner of the room, wounded and unsure. _A cornered animal._ His eyes were still intense, however, as he watched Gauge cautiously. The silence was maddening. Gauge pulled a chair to the center of the room and sat down at the end of the leash’s reach. With one rough tug toward himself, he coldly ordered Gavin, “On your hands and knees, like the good dog you are.”

The sharp pull nearly put him off balance. Gavin grabbed the leash in both hands and stumbled forward, hitting his thigh on the corner of the desk before dropping to his knees onto the hard floor. He didn’t want to debase himself. His mind railed against it even as he did what he was told. He continued to watch Gauge carefully as the man pulled Gavin on the leash slowly towards himself. Gav tried to stand up, but was forced to remain on his hands and knees as the momentum kept him moving forward.

_The men around him laughed._

They laughed like jackals surrounding him, making him feel sick. _He loathed them._ Gavin choked down a snarl of anger as he drew closer and someone kicked him hard in the ribs. Air was forced from his lungs in a rush as he grabbed his side tenderly and fell over, curling for a moment as he looked up at Kyle standing over him. He fought to uncurl himself and let go of his ribs, trying to pretend he wasn’t hurt nearly as bad as he was.

The leash tugged again and Gauge frowned up at Kyle, “Wait your turn.”

Gavin was so close to Gauge now that the other man grabbed the collar and jerked his head up to look at the soldier there between his knees. The man’s smile widened and his eyes seemed to gleam. Even with, or perhaps because of, the busted nose and blood smearing the lower half of his face he looked menacing. Gauge spoke quietly down at Gavin, “I’ll bet you are a good little cock sucker.”

Gav’s breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened slightly. He realized his mistake immediately as Gauge picked up on the fear cue, “Mmm hmm, just as I thought.”

The other men in the room were laughing again. Gauge cocked his head to the side, “Well? get to it.”

Gavin just stare in disbelief for a moment until he heard McKinny’s voice somewhere behind him, “27 minutes.”

As if prodded by the voice behind, Gavin swallowed painfully and moved his hands up to untie the belt around Gauge’s pants. His hands trembled slightly and he did his best to hide it as he pulled the cloth belt open. Gauge slid down in his seat a little, allowing Gavin to lower his pants down over his hips. He had now stopped looking at the other man’s face and he had become quiet and docile for the time. _What could he do? He was trapped in hell._ Gavin moved his hand slowly. If he had to do it, it was within his power to get it over with quickly. He suddenly hated himself for that thought. Gavin tried to disconnect until he felt like it wasn't even real. The Chinese men had forced him to do things for hours at a time, kneeling on small sharp stones, holding heavy objects... He had learned a few tricks to disconnect from the task. 

_Put focus elsewhere. Count to 100. Disassociate._

Gavin had never thought that he would find himself so very thankful for some of the things he learned in the Chinese camp.

The back of his hand was still crusted with blood flecks from the earlier massacre and it mocked him. All those people he had just knifed to death and here he was helpless with four idiots holding a leash and a two-way radio. Gauge grabbed a fistful of Gavin’s hair and shoved his face into his crotch, his cock pressing against Gav’s cheek roughly. He swallowed again, feeling the pain across his throat reminding him vividly of the choking leather. The collar felt much too tight all the sudden.

Gavin moved his head as best he could while being held by the hair, squeezed his eyes shut, and he reluctantly opened his mouth. Gauge allowed him a moment to breathe before pressing Gavin’s head down against him. Gav pushed back but then gave in and allowed Gauge to move his head up and down in his lap. The others laughed more. He could feel their eyes on him, they sounded like a crowd of people jeering. Gauge stopped pushing Gavin’s head and allowed him to do what he would, which was much better for the both of them. He hated himself even more for it. Gavin closed his eyes and hoped he could get Gauge off quickly. He nearly laughed out loud at the thought. Actually wanting to get him off. The irony made him sick.

Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed his pants at the waist and yanked them down hard. Gavin reached back and grabbed the material as it slid halfway over his ass, but Gauge kept a hold of his hair to keep him from moving his head away. A voice sounded behind him, “21 minutes…”

It was McKinny who had pulled Gavin’s pants down. He heard him snicker as his hand pushed Gav’s shirt up to his shoulders then ran back downwards again to continue pulling his pants down. Gavin released the material and allowed it. There was nothing he could do, he had been broken and defeated.

_For the time._

Gavin mentally yelled at him to hurry up when he was suddenly distracted by the feeling of someone pressing wetly against his ass cheek. Probably that fuckface McKinny. _Sever yourself from reality._ Kyle knelt down beside Gauge’s chair, somewhat to the left side of Gavin, and nudged at his shoulder with his hand. His sore shoulder. Gavin glanced to the side and saw him there, dick in hand, expectantly. Gav mentally cursed and tried to ignore the man. 

Mckinny leaned forward, pressing against Gavin’s back, and whispered, “17…”

Gavin let a frustrated groan escape his throat, which made them laugh again. He was going to slice their necks open. He imagined doing so as he angrily grabbed Kyle’s cock in his hand and winced as he started moving his arm. His shoulder burned and screamed in protest against the actions. His ribs ached, his throat hurt and he had a splitting headache that seemed to run down his entire spine. _He heard McKinny spit._

Gav’s jaw ached. Gauge wasn’t very large, but he kept forcing Gavin’s head all the way down, over and over. He nearly gagged a few times. McKinny was rough and fast, his intention seemed to be to inflict pain. Which he did. Gavin briefly wondered where Tennet was, then realized he was jerking off next to his thigh.

He silently screamed at Gauge again to hurry the fuck up.

_Focus on something else. Focus on the pain._

Gavin couldn’t escape the grip of the man’s fist still in his hair holding him tightly in place as he released in Gav’s mouth. As soon as Gauge let go, Gavin reared up and spit to the side angrily. 

McKinny chuckled, “With three minutes to spare.”

Gauge pat him on the head, “Good dog.”

He stood and pulled his pants up in front of Gavin, looking down at him with a stupid grin plastered on his face. Gavin stood shakily, cautiously pulling his own pants up as he did so, and he narrowed his eyes dangerously at Gauge as a cold calmness started to wash over him. _Resolve._ It must have unnerved the man because he quickly found the leash with one hand and jerked it sharply downward, “Nobody told you to get up, bitch.”

_This was it. This would be their mistake._

Gavin let himself drop back to the ground and looked up to McKinny expectantly in wait. _He could play nice for three more minutes..._  
  


  
  


###  **Give ‘Em Hell!**

Hancock was leaning his head back, counting the squares of the ceiling tiles when he heard the voice on the two-way radio chime in. He lost count of how many this one was. Every hour. It was more than 18. Possibly more than 27. What number was he on in the ceiling tile count, now? Bah, he would have to start over.

It was the fifth round of guarding from the man Hancock referred to as Brahmin Breath. He was terrible at coming up with descriptively demeaning names to call people. Oh well, he amused himself any way he could. The one who often ignored him came into the room just then, Hancock liked to call him Shithead. _Brilliant._ He did think of changing the man’s name to Fancy Pants, on account of him always eating those damned Fancy Lads Snack Cakes. Disgusting.

McKinny’s voice on the two-way sounded pleased, which irked John to no end. _How dare that cunt be happy._ The man spoke carefully, “We had an incident…”

Hancock’s eyes widened and his heart pounded as he heard Gavin in the background growling, “You little fucking bitch...”

Shithead Fancy Pants calmly replied, “What sort of incident?”

After a moment of silence that seemed far too long for John to stand, McKinny spoke again, “This dog just forgot his place for a second, we had to put him back in line.” Another pause, “also, he broke Gauge’s nose.”

Hancock smiled and yelled, “Give ‘em hell!”

Shithead nodded to himself, “I see. That will be all for now. You guys can get some rest.”

Hancock laughed quietly as Shithead approached and stared down at him. John stuck his chin out confidently and spoke slowly with narrowed eyes, “You’re in so much trouble. He’s gunna tear this place apart and kill you all.”

Shithead gave a disturbing half smile, “I’m counting on it.”

Hancock’s confidence wilted a little, “Come again?”

The man patted John’s cheek roughly, “Don’t you worry your pretty little face about it.”

Shithead left the room for a moment then returned with a shock baton.

He snapped it open to his side, turned it on and let Hancock take in the implication of it for a moment before stepping closer. The black baton had light blue electricity bouncing up and down the length of it. John narrowed his eyes and looked up at the man, “You don’t scare me.”

Shithead gave a small shrug to state he couldn’t care less and he whipped the baton across Hancock’s cheek with deadly speed and accuracy. Then the other side. The bones cracked sharply and a jolt of electricity followed that pain, surging through his body, setting every nerve ablaze. He clenched his teeth tightly and refused to yell. _Fuck it hurt._ The next strike was laid sharply against his collarbone. It cracked easily with the blow. Hancock wasn’t sure which was worse, the breaking bones or the pain of the electricity lighting him on fire from within.

His mind was made up for him as Shithead leaned forward and jammed the tip of the baton into his side, right on a nerve plexus. He pressed hard and left it there as he leaned forward and watched John expectantly.

He couldn’t handle it anymore. The baton jabbed further and he could feel the fire all the way to his toes, inescapable and intense. Hancock let out a scream of pain that he turned into rage, then back to pain as his eyes watered and he shook his head from side to side. The man smiled that small little grin of his and stepped back, turning the baton off and slamming it closed with his hand. He turned and walked out the door just as straightforward as he had entered.

Hancock was vaguely aware of Brahmin Breath still standing in the room. He seemed disturbed by his psychopathic torturous colleague. Well, that made two of them.  
  


  
  


###  **Surprise Party**

Gavin was staring at McKinny as he set the two-way radio down and turned to face the room once more. The soldier’s face had become stoic and cold, eyes once again shining and intense. He was no longer on his hands and knees, but sitting with his knees up and his arms resting atop them.

_Deep breaths. Clear thoughts. Calm._

McKinny paused, caught in Gavin’s icy stare. He blinked a few times and took an unconscious step backward, pointing to Gavin, “Someone tie him up.”

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Kyle and Tennet stepped forward and grabbed Gavin by each arm, roughly escorting him to the chair in the center of the room that Gauge had been sitting in two minutes earlier. Gavin let them sit him down and watched as Tennet removed a roll of duct tape from his pack on the couch. Kyle looked down at Gavin and snorted lightly, reaching a hand out to pat his cheek, “Look, I think you broke him…”

In one quick motion, Gavin grabbed Tennet’s hand and contorted it sharply as he stood and spun the man around. In the blink of an eye, he had grabbed the man’s head and twisted it with a crack that seemed much too loud. Tennet slumped down in Gavin’s arms and the soldier shoved the weight of the body against Gauge before he could act. The body slumped more to the side due to Gavin’s shoulder injury, but it did the job and crashed into Gauge’s legs, throwing him off balance and tripping him up as he was tangled in dead weight.

Gav lunged at McKinny and grabbed the knife from his belt. He had always kept it there and made a show of how quickly he could draw it. Well, it didn’t work so great when taken by surprise. Gavin slid it out of the holster with one hand, then grabbed the two-way radio with the other. He turned and chucked the box as hard as he could at Kyle’s head, who was digging a gun out from the pack. All those years playing baseball paid off as the radio thunked him in the side of the head, making him reel and drop the gun on the floor.

In such a small space, it was easy for Gavin to pick up the dropped pistol from the floor. He scooped it up and got behind Kyle, pressing the knife to his throat and aiming the gun at Gauge over his shield’s shoulder. From what Gavin could surmise, he was probably the one to worry the most about. He had been right, of course. Gauge had a pistol and if Gavin had been a few seconds slower, he probably would have been dead.

McKinny leaned back against the desk uselessly. He had left his gun in that pack on the other side of the soldier standing in the middle of the room, controlling the area. His main defense to hold Gavin at bay had been the knife and radio. Underestimating him and his rage had been a mistake.

Gavin had tore a path through the commonwealth looking for his stolen son, killing anyone who had gotten in his way, how would they think four idiots would stop him from his goal once they pissed him off?

The soldier and Gauge both fired at nearly the same time, Gauge first. He didn’t hesitate, he had shot Kyle in the leg. The sudden weight of the man he was using as a shield made Gavin miss his shot. The bullet, however, was pretty damn lucky, hitting Gauge’s fingers on the gun and continuing into his neck before he could get a second shot off. Admittedly, that hadn't been where he was aiming when Gauge ducked to the side. Gavin let Kyle fall and slid the knife along the man’s neck as he did. He gurgled and sputtered on the ground as Gavin let the better of his anger get to him and he haphazardly lunged at Gauge with a feral growl, just barely missing getting shot when the man reacted in surprise. He shoved the knife in his lower belly and jerked it upward halfway through his sternum before it got stuck in the bone. He pushed him down and stared at him coldly for a moment as he picked up the dropped weapon, watching his guts spill onto the carpet.

_It had been satisfying._

Gavin felt the cold steel of a gun against his neck as McKinny’s voice sounded through the high-pitched ringing in his ears, “Drop it.”

The soldier cursed quietly. How could he have let emotions overtake him in a fight for his life? _Stupid. _He dropped his pistol and raised his hands slowly, then spun around, hitting McKinny in the wrist and slapping the gun to the side. It fired as Gavin stepped in close and wrapped his arm around McKinny’s gun arm. He jammed his hand under the man’s chin, grabbing him by the throat, “There are several ways I could kill you right now…” His voice was raspy and low.__

Gavin heard the gun hit the floor behind him in a strange muffled clunk. His ears rang, the left ear felt like it was stuffed with cloth and underwater. The ear damage from the shots fired had been a little disorienting.

The soldier slowly released McKinny’s arm and stepped back, picking up the first pistol and checking the magazine. McKinny blinked stupidly in disbelief before stammering, “You...you need me. You can’t kill me.”

Gavin glanced up at the man as he unbuckled the collar around his neck and let it fall to the floor, “I _can_ kill you, asshole. Have you not been paying attention?”

He nestled the gun in his belt and grabbed the duct tape, motioning with one finger for McKinny to turn around. As he taped his hands behind his back, Gavin looked at the two-way radio laying on the floor. The soldier spun his captive around and looked him in the eye, “Cooperate and I won’t kill you.”

McKinny looked away from Gavin’s unnervingly frigid gaze, “How do I know you aren’t lying?”

Gavin flashed a condescending grin, his voice a hoarse near whisper, “I promise, I won’t kill you if you cooperate.”

His captive thought about it for a moment, “I’m supposed to believe you?”

Gavin snorted, “You don’t have much of a choice. Also, I am a man of my word.”

McKinny nodded reluctantly and Gavin picked up the radio, checking it for damage. It was surprisingly sturdy.

Gavin moved to the pack on the couch and started rummaging for anything useful. he plucked out some ammo, placed it in a belt pouch and buckled it around his waist, found one inhaler of jet and added that to one of the pouches. No stimpacks, however. One screwdriver, two bobby pins. Excellent. He moved some other things aside then froze as he peered at something shiny in the bottom of the pack. He reached down slowly then pulled out three BoS holotags. Gavin glanced back over his shoulder at McKinny. There was no way these guys were from the Brotherhood of Steel, they were too stupid. New recruits, perhaps? No way. They must have stolen these for some reason. How would they get them? BoS would kick their asses, even on a bad day. He read the names on the tags. They matched Gauge, Tennet and McKinny. 

Gav thought about Paladin Danse. Those crazy assholes never took their power armor off. He put the holotags in his pocket and moved back over to the mess on the floor that used to be Gauge. Gavin planted a foot on the man’s chest and yanked the knife out, wiping it off on a clean spot of the corpse’s clothing.

The soldier walked over to McKinny and snatched the leather knife holster off the man’s belt, adding it to his own and neatly placing the knife inside.

Gavin shoved the other man out the door and back outside, “Where are they?”

The man looked around then nodded in a direction.

As they walked Gavin spoke, turning the radio over in his hands, “What’s the pattern to your stupid passcodes you use every time you talk to those guys?”

McKinny blushed a little and looked down, “Nothing. I make them up.”

Gavin grunted. Of course, that little cunt made them up. Gav spoke in a sharp, yet quiet tone that commanded attention even with his ruined voice, “How many of them are there?”

His captive shrugged, “I have no idea.”

The soldier sighed, “A surprise party. Fantastic.”

He grabbed the gold plated pocket watch from McKinny’s pants and looked at the time. Gavin had about 45 minutes before the contact had to be made again. Not too bad, depending on how far away they now stood from their destination. He rubbed his shoulder and timidly poked his side. The ribs weren’t broken, but hurt like a bitch, nonetheless. As adrenaline washed away, Gavin felt exhaustion take over once more. He was mentally and physically worn, but he pressed on like the soldier he had been and always would be.  
  


  
  


###  **Unanswered Prayers**

Turned out the walk didn’t go in a straight line from point A to point B as intended. _Because of course it didn't._ Gavin and his captive had to make their way around the rubble of once tall buildings and little camps of raiders strewn about the streets and alley ways.

McKinny motioned to a tall factory building in the distance, “There.”

Gavin glanced at the pocket watch. He had 7 minutes. He would never make it in time. Gav started pacing and running his hands through his hair in frustration. Could he trust this little twit to say what he was supposed to? Probably, he seemed to value his life a great deal. He wouldn’t be so stupid…would he?

He pulled McKinny over to a stoop and shoved him down. Gav stood next to him and held the radio, waiting. Impatiently, he started pacing again, back and forth down the street a little ways off. 

For some reason, Gavin’s mind drifted to his wife's murderer. What would Gavin become if he lost everything he loved? The thought frightened him. Although he considered himself to be a good person, so had Kellogg in his younger days. Would Gavin become a ruthless killer for hire in this new world? Could he kill innocent people like Kellogg did to Nora? Could he kidnap children and be a lapdog, taking whatever orders he was given without remorse? Kellogg had a wife and child once, too, and losing them had been his catalyst. Gavin swallowed hard and fought a lump rising in his throat. The thing that frightened him the most was to become just like that man. Losing everyone he loved and becoming an empty shell, used by others to murder and kidnap. He had wished he never entered the man’s brain. They had so many similarities it was scary.

 _Father_ had told him that he viewed him as an experiment to see what he would do with revenge. The Institute did that to Kellogg, also. They had also mentioned to Gavin that he possessed important above ground skills that none of them could ever imagine. Had they been hoping for him to become Kellogg’s replacement all along? 

_Bastards._

Gavin looked up and gave a silent plea to whoever or whatever divine benevolent being may be listening, “Please let John be okay...He’s all I have left.” He glanced down at the watch. One minute. He walked back to McKinny who was sitting right where Gav had left him. He looked like he was sulking. _Good._ Gavin hoped that he was terrified. The soldier plopped the radio down in the man’s lap roughly and glared at him in a silent warning as he turned it on and pressed the button for his bound captive. He briefly imagined gutting the man. He could feel it. Gavin’s hands clenched as he pictured it perfectly, smell and all.

McKinny gave the same all clear report as he always did most times before. The times when Gavin hadn’t been acting out. Inside, Gavin relaxed and smiled in relief, but his outward appearance didn’t change. He still glared angrily as he stood and grabbed a fistful of the man's hair, jerking him to his feet as roughly as possible.

The captive man yelped and sounded like he was about to whimper as he protested, “Let me go! You don’t need me anymore…”

Gavin drug him along, “You are staying with me until I find Hancock safe and sound.”

McKinny tried to wriggle out of the soldier’s grip to no avail, “No! Let me go!”

Gav ignored him as he stalked his way toward the factory.  
  


  
  


###  **Killer Defined**

The soldier in him was great at this part. He snuck around the building, careful to keep to the shadows and underneath or behind turrets. He drug his annoying captive behind. McKinny was slow. That man was a murderer, not a killer. There was a distinct difference between the two. Military training had led Gavin to become a killer. A hunter. Efficient. McKinny was far too clumsy to be anything but a two cap hired gun.

Gavin tried quietly to open a door and found it locked. He grinned to himself as he took out the screwdriver and one of the two bobby pins he had pilfered. After a moment the lock quietly clicked open with a sweet satisfying sound.

_Ah, there we go..._

It didn’t seem as though they had expected him to come in through that door. He found a turret in the hallway facing the opposite direction and he used his knife to cut the wires at the bottom. The turret sputtered and slowed to a depressing stop. Gavin looked down at the dead turret for a moment and wished he had time to grab the circuit board. 

_Gav could always use a circuit board._

He slunk quietly down a hallway and crouched next to a door. He heard footsteps. They came close, then walked away, paused, then returned. Someone was patrolling. As they walked away again, Gavin peered around the corner. A man stood with his back to Gavin a few feet away wearing an olive green BoS jumpsuit and carrying a gun. Gav ducked his head back behind the wall and glared accusingly at McKinny in a questioning way that spoke volumes. The captive shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, mouthing the word “What?”

Gavin angrily grabbed McKinny by the front of his shirt and drug him back down the hallway. He looked up and down the halls before whispering harshly at him, “What the fuck is the Brotherhood doing here?”

The captive man nervously shrugged again, “I don’t fucking know, guarding?!”

Gavin felt frustrated as he grabbed McKinny by the throat and growled, “Hancock is here? Are you sure?”

McKinny attempted to nod, but instead squeaked out a tiny, “Yes…”

Gav moved back down the hallway to the patrolman in the room. He glanced back at McKinny and narrowed his eyes in silent warning that he had better be correct. The very last thing he wanted to do right now was start an unwarranted one man killing spree against the BoS. _But he would if they hurt John._ The soldier drew his knife and waited for the man in the room to turn and pat away before he slunk quietly inside behind him.  
  


  
  


###  **Your Hero**

Shithead strolled casually into the room where Hancock still sat, face swollen and broken. He still glared defiantly at the eerily calm man as he stood in front of him, pulling on a pair of black leather gloves, “Your hero is here.”

John took slow shallow breaths. His entire chest and upper back ached from the broken collarbone. Every breath was sheer pain. _He could take it._ He lifted his chin more defiantly at Mr. Fancy Pants Shithead, “You’re gunna get it now.” His voice was quiet and ragged.

The man didn’t flinch or falter as he wriggled his fingers in his gloves, “On the contrary. I will be departing here directly.”

He cocked his head to the side, though his facial features remained unchanging, “It’s been a… _pleasure._ ”

The last word sounded much too amused.

He took a deep breath as he slammed a fist down against Hancock’s broken collarbone and ground his knuckles in deeply, twisting painfully down into the flesh and bone that ground sickeningly in his chest. Hancock was caught completely off guard and he let out a yell that turned into a scream of pain. It was a long drawn out scream, encouraged by the man’s fist pressing roughly into him. Another crack sounded as the bone broke in a second place.

John rocked back in his chair and growled loudly in a feral voice, “FUCK...YOU!”

He tried to pull his feet free from the duct tape holding him to the legs of the chair and he rocked violently until he fell backwards, hitting the back of his head against the cement floor. His head spun as sharp pain split his skull and a flash of light in his vision blinded him.

Shithead placed a foot on the crossbar of the chair and pulled it back upright. He smiled and motioned out the open door with his head, “Your knight needed some...motivation.”

and with that, Shithead strolled into the room off to the side. Hancock heard a sound like sudden electricity splitting the air for a second, then everything was quiet. His head spun and the edges of his vision were little pinpricks of light as he struggled to recall where he had heard that sound before. Anything to focus on in order to keep from passing out.  
  


  
  


###  **Promises**

Gavin was decided on disabling the patrolman to question him when Hancock’s pained scream echoed through the building from afar. Gav froze, unsure of what he should do for a moment, then Hancock’s expletive followed, clearly. Gavin lunged up at the patrol impatiently, knife stabbing upwards underneath the man’s ribs. The pat let out a surprised squeak before slumping down. He reached into the man’s jumpsuit and snatched off the holotag from around his neck, adding it to his pocketed collection before spinning on his heel and quickly prowling back out into the hallway with a quick determination.

_Fuck these guys._

Gavin didn’t get every tag as he moved, leaving a trail of bodies behind, but he had snatched up the majority.

He was livid as he drug McKinny behind, stalking up stairs and finally near a control room on the top floor. It overlooked a large open manufacturing room that seemed like a trap, but Gavin found no traces of people here.

Gavin pushed McKinny in front of him, using him as a shield as he moved, but no shots came. The place was strange. It felt somehow wrong here. Gavin climbed up the stairs cautiously and quietly, peering around the door of a room. Empty. He moved to the open door of the next room and peered inside.

Gav’s eyes widened as he spotted John slumped in a chair. His legs twitched as he fought the urge to run to him. He glanced around the room impatiently, finding no trace of anyone other than Hancock in the chair. He was mumbling quietly to himself. He heard McKinny behind him sigh a quiet, “Oh, thank god…”

Gavin drug the man behind him as he timidly entered the room, still waiting for some sort of trap. Nothing came. He finally allowed himself to rush over to Hancock and kneel down in front of him, taking his face in both hands. John winced as his head lifted and his slow lopsided grin appeared as he spoke in a pained groggy voice, “Hey sunshine…what took you so long?”

Gavin’s eyes widened as he examined John’s body. His face was cut open and swollen, broken bones. His eyes lingered on Hancock’s face with an expression of pain and worry for him. John shrugged with one shoulder slowly, “I’ve had worse.”

Gav cut the tape holding Hancock’s legs to the chair then unbound his hands from the back of the seat. As soon as his arms were free he awkwardly wrapped them around Gavin, lack of blood flow making his movements stupid. His embrace was weak from sitting in one position so long and the pain of his busted collarbone. Gavin wrapped his arms around his lover’s waist and held him as tight as he could without hurting him. Gav squeezed his eyes closed and whispered, “I'm so sorry this happened to you…”

They stood there for, what seemed like, an eternity. Hancock finally moved back, rolling his better shoulder and examining Gavin. His eyes narrowed at the marks and heavy bruising across Gav’s neck that clearly indicated he had been strangled. His black eyes fixed on a point behind Gavin to where McKinny stood, close to the door and wanting very badly to leave. His dangerous gaze remained on the man as he spoke threateningly, “What did they do to you?”

Gavin was quiet for a moment before glancing back at McKinny, “Nothing good.” His voice was still ruined from the leash.

He handed the knife to Hancock and didn’t even turn to look as the ghoul stalked languidly toward the man. Even broken he moved beautifully. McKinny stepped back and stumbled into the door frame, “Wait! You said you wouldn’t kill me if I cooperated! _I cooperated!_ ”

The man let out a whimper as he tried to shrink away from Hancock, who terrified him beyond belief. _And he very well should be terrified of the ghoul._ Gavin smirked, “Yeah, I said I wouldn’t kill you...but I can’t vouch for _him._ ”

McKinny’s voice was desperate, “This isn’t fair!”

Gavin spun around to face him angrily just in time to see Hancock ram the knife between the man’s legs and twist it back and forth a few times before pulling it upwards and out. Gav’s eyes widened and he winced slightly. McKinny screamed a high pitched haunting sound of fear and pain as he dropped to his knees then fell to his side, whimpering loudly and moaning as blood turned his tan trousers bright red. Gavin stared at Hancock for a long moment. _He knew._ Somehow he knew exactly what had happened without Gavin even saying a word.

John knelt down and wiped the knife on McKinny’s shirt deliberately while looking into the man’s eyes. He didn’t say a word, he just stared blankly for a time, his broken face making the action even more unsettling.

Hancock stood up slowly, trying his hardest not to show how much he was hurting, but his left arm remained pressed to his side, unmoving. He smiled weakly as he slid the knife back into Gavin’s belt holster, “Let’s blow this popsicle stand…”

Gavin reached into one of the ammo pouches and handed John the one inhaler of jet he had taken from the office. He smiled and withdrew it with a sly look, “Unless you’d like to, you know, feel everything with me…”

Hancock paused and smiled endearingly as he feebly snatched the jet from Gav’s hand, “Maybe next time…”

He took the hit, held it in his lungs for a few seconds, then blinked slowly as he exhaled in bliss. Suddenly all the hurts weren’t _so_ bad.

They stepped over the writhing lump of McKinny in the doorway and made their way to a fire escape, unchaining the door and swinging it wide open. Gavin was smiling down at John as they stepped outside onto the metal stairwell, he didn’t see the flash of light glinting off silver metal on the catwalk further along the building until it was too late.

The gunshot echoed across the hill and had become the loudest sound in the world as Hancock pressed into Gavin from the side. John’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth, bright red blood sputtering out, “ _…Mother…Fucker…_ ”

He coughed and let himself fall into Gavin’s arms as he was drug back inside and laid down on the cement, his head resting on Gav's lap.

Bright red blood bubbled from a high point on Hancock’s chest, the left side, nearly under his arm. There was no exit wound, but the sight of the bubbling blood was a sure sign it had gone through at least one lung. Hancock clutched at Gavin’s shirt and struggled to speak, “Don’t...leave me…”

His soldier leaned down and cradled him, “ _You_ don’t leave _me_ …”

Hancock was quiet, his breathing ragged and wet. He struggled and tried to sit up, but couldn’t move. His hand fell from Gavin’s shirt weakly and he nearly whispered, “You know….I never make a promise….I can’t keep…”

Gavin held him tighter and nearly yelled in panic, “Then promise me!”

John Hancock lay motionless as Gavin silently held him in his trembling arms.

  
  
  
  



	2. Thanks for the Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of The Game in which Sole Survivor Gavin Pines over Hancock, who is currently in a coma after being shot. In an effort to uncover possible clues to the BoS factory facade, and perhaps wake John up, Gavin enters Hancock's memories. Meanwhile, the relationship between Danse and Gavin develops a little more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((This story is mirroring my own commitment issues regarding joining a faction or choosing just one companion to adore, therefore it takes place after Maxson has bestowed the Knight title, but before the REAL commitment to the Brotherhood happens. Nothing more than running some menial errands for the Brotherhood in this particular timeline. 
> 
> also, the imagery of Hancock pre-ghoul comes from concept art. he was pretty damn cute. on the terminal of the memory den there is an entry "if you think Hancock is handsome and deadly now, you should have seen him before he turned ghoul."
> 
> Again, there is a little spoiler blurb in one of the memories regarding the SS's spouse's killer.))

  
  


_**Crawling** _

_Crawling in my skin_  
These wounds they will not heal  
Fear is how I fall  
Confusing what is real 

_There's something inside me that pulls beneath the surface_  
Consuming, confusing  
This lack of self-control I fear is never ending  
Controlling. I can't seem... 

_To find myself again_  
My walls are closing in  
(without a sense of confidence and I'm convinced that there's just too much pressure to take)  
I've felt this way before  
So insecure 

_Discomfort endlessly has pulled itself upon me_  
Distracting, reacting  
Against my will I stand beside my own reflection  
It's haunting how I can't seem...  


  
  


###  **Metal Clad Angel**

Gavin frantically scanned the area for something, _anything_ , he could use. He flung open the doors in every cabinet, kicked over several crates to spill their contents across the cement, and yanked drawers out of storage benches before he found a first aid kit laying in a corner containing a half used stimpak.

“Halle-fucking-lujah!” he yelled as he ran back across the open factory floor, which suddenly seemed much too large. Gavin thumped down on his knees to kneel over the body on the floor, only vaguely aware of the sharp pain that blossomed in his kneecaps. The stimpak only had a small bit of remaining, maybe enough to do, well, he had no fucking idea if it would even do anything at this stage. 

He jabbed the needle unceremoniously into Hancock’s limp leg and made sure every last red drop of the liquid was out before retracting the empty syringe and furiously attempting to dismantle it. 

Gavin angrily bashed the uncooperative device on the ground three times, “Fuck fuck FUCK!” he growled at it until the metal gauge bent and busted off, cutting a deep gouge into the palm of his hand. He hardly noticed the dull sting of pain as blood welled up and started trickling steadily down his forearm, dripping onto the cement as he ripped John’s shirt open. His fingers ran over the man’s pronounced ribs, leaving bloody smears as he searched out the space between the second and third. Hancock’s collarbone was a broken mess and pressed down into part of the rib space near the top of his chest. His fingers ran over shattered bits of bone as he moved and he finally found the spot he was looking for. 

He shook his head lightly as he slid the large needle carefully into the rib space, “Christ, John…” Gavin realized he must have been hiding a hell of a lot of pain. He felt a pang of guilt rise up inside for the beating Hancock received. A quiet rush of air escaped from the broken end of the syringe as the air filling Hancock’s chest and collapsing his lung escaped. 

John’s breaths came so quiet and shallow that Gavin could hardly tell if he was even breathing at all, which continued to make him panic. He started to become aware of the pain surging through his hand from the cut in his palm. Gavin held his hand up to examine the wound, finding that it was still seeping blood. He stood up used the knife at his belt to cut loose a strip of cloth at the bottom of his t-shirt as he walked quickly across the factory floor once more. 

As he finished wrapping his hand, Gavin started rummaging through one of the crates in a corner. He found some cutting fluid and a gold plated flip lighter sitting with two packs of cigarettes. He grabbed them, stuffing them under his arm as he lifted an old tire, rolling it out toward the exit. 

This time Gavin was more careful as he opened the door and peered out. No sign of hostiles. He pushed the tire out and hefted it up onto the corner bars of the stair well. As he pulled individual cigarette packs from the carton and emptied them into the tire, he watched the skies above. He dumped the remaining cutting fluid from the old container over half the cigarettes and struggled with the lighter for a moment as he spoke under his breath, “C’mon fuckers, where are you when i need you…” 

A fire blazed up inside the tire and quickly started pouring black smoke into the air, rapidly thickening. Gavin waited until it was good and hot, burning fiercely, then shoved the tire over the edge angrily, watching it hit the ground below and spray embers all through the grass in several spots as it bounced then rolled. “Fuck this place…” He narrowed his eyes as he watched the fire quickly spread though the dry grass. He hoped it would all burn to the ground.

He went back inside to check on Hancock, who lay motionless right where he left him. Gavin knelt down slowly and checked the syringe to make sure it was still in place. John looked so fragile and small lying there, broken and lifeless. He scooped him up carefully and made his way outside to the field below. Again, Gavin glanced up at the sky, “could really use you right about now…” 

A quiet whirring sounded in the distance as if Gavin’s plea was heard. The vertibird grew close, made a pass and found clear a spot to land. Before the aircraft was on the ground, A man wearing power armor jumped out and jogged over to where Gavin stood next to Hancock. Danse immediately picked up Hancock, somehow delicately in his metal plated arms. He didn’t even question the scene as he took long quick strides back to the aircraft waiting ahead. 

Gavin had to nearly run in order to keep up, “Holy shit, of all the vertibirds to fly by...I have never been happier to see you, Paladin.”

  
  


###  **Commitment**

Danse stepped inside the infirmary, looking over to the ghoul laying on the bed with Gavin sitting next to him. Knight Captain Cade turned from his desk, “Sir.” The Paladin nodded to him in acknowledgement then addressed Gavin with a curt tone, “Kight Gavin, I would like to have a word with you.”

Gav turned to Hancock, looking over his sleeping form.

Cade made an exasperated sigh, “Go on, Knight. Nothing for you to do here but sit and stare.” 

Gavin reluctantly stood up and quietly followed his sponsor out onto the main deck of the Prydwen. 

The Paladin walked silently down to his quarters, ushered Gavin inside and quietly closed the door. 

Gavin glanced around the room, “Well, you certainly are direct.” He motioned lewdly at the cot up against the wall and flashed a tired grin simply to amuse himself. The Paladin blushed lightly then balked, “You are out of line, soldier.” 

Gav smirked, “You know, I hear that a lot lately.” As Gavin went out around the Wasteland with his sponsor, he started to feel a tight bond forming between them. He felt close enough with the man that he often questioned orders, talked back and sometimes even flirted unabashedly just to watch the Paladin stammer and blush.

Danse composed himself, making a pointed attempt to ignore the fact that the cot even existed. “Do you know why I decided to sponsor you into the Brotherhood?” He spoke with a deep breath and an even tone, continuing after Gavin shook his head no, “I witnessed something in you that I haven’t seen in a long time. Upon first meeting, before you even knew anything about us, you risked your life to help clear the Police Station of ferals that threatened to overrun us.” His gaze was firm as he continued, “Then, directly after that, you risked your life once again to accompany me in retrieving a piece of tech that had absolutely nothing to do with you for zero personal gain.” Gavin gave a small shrug as the Paladin finished, “That being said, I would like to think that you would do everything in your power to help make the Commonwealth a safe place for everyone.”

Gavin scratched his head, “Yeah, well...it’s kinda my thing I guess.” It had always been that way for Gavin. He was always the one to stick up for others, helping where he could and most times nearly giving his all. He often hated that he cared a little too much about people. 

_Was that a weakness or a strength?_

The Paladin shifted his weight and his eyes somewhat glazed over as he recited from the codex, “Fear those who do not pledge to the Brotherhood for though their eyes may be opened through service, they are now blind.”

Gavin glanced sheepishly away with a small sigh. _Not this again._

Danse watched him for a moment, “Gavin, why won’t you completely commit to the Brotherhood?”

He felt his temper rise a little at being pressured and his voice was a little snappy, “I don’t know, Danse.” He turned his head and stare into the other man’s eyes, “Maybe because you lot are a self serving tyrannical cult of brutes who mean to suppress and conquer instead of genuinely helping people.” Gavin bit back his irritation, immediately regretting his outburst. He had actually started to feel a little more welcome by the crew on the Prydwen lately and he longed for the closeness that the Brotherhood offered. ‘Bound by steel’. He had a strong desire to be a part of that camaraderie. One thing he missed about the military were those forged bonds that brought people closer than anything. Gavin acted out and refused to say ‘sir’ or request permission to speak, he was a little insolent at times, but it was simply because he was afraid and hated being pressured into things. 

Danse tensed up, “I see…” he took a breath, “Sorry to press the subject.”

A deafening quiet flooded the room until Gavin broke it up, “Was there something else you wanted to say, Paladin?” He motioned slightly to the private room they stood in.

Danse clenched and unclenched his fists, “I um…” he took a breath, “Wondered where I stand with you.” Another deep breath, “Personally.”

Gavin blinked, “Well…” Honestly he had no idea. He scratched his head, “Danse, I’m sorry I used you the way I did.” He had been itching to apologize ever since the night at the farmhouse where he seduced Danse because Hancock had asked him to. To John and Gavin it was a game, but Gav found something more there and regretted treating the encounter as he had. He was starting to feel really close to Danse, there was something between them that had been sparked even before the farmhouse.

The Paladin tensed even more and held his breath for a moment. He shook his head, “No, I allowed it.” He spoke more assuredly, “I had _wanted_ it. Furthermore, I have no regrets.” He let that wash over Gavin, who stood speechless. Danse took an apprehensive breath and spoke quietly, “Somebody once told me,” He hesitated briefly, “That if I refuse to let anyone close to me I'll miss out on the good things. The possible pains are worth it in the end.” Danse winced slightly after he said it, summing up the conversation he had with a certain ghoul weeks ago. 

Gavin snorted, “Sounds like shit Hancock says when he’s high.”

The Paladin, uncomfortable, shifted his weight and changed the subject, “Yes, well, speaking of which, I believe Elder Maxson is about to request you remove him from the Prydwen.”

Gavin nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

Danse sighed, “He felt he owed you something after everything you've done so far, for bringing Brandis and Li back into the Brotherhood, but his debt is paid.”

Gav nodded again, “I know.” he shift his weight uncomfortably, “I'll pay them back. I’ll pay Cade back tenfold for his help and understanding.”

The Paladin carefully asked, “So, what will you do?”

Gavin shrugged, “I have no idea.” He glanced up at the ceiling in thought, “Take him back to Goodneighbor I guess.”

Danse hesitated only briefly, “Would you like company?”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Gavin entered the Cambridge Police Station with Danse behind him. Haylen jumped to her feet from behind the terminal she had been typing at as they approached the back room, “Sir.”

Danse nodded, “Scribe Haylen. At ease.”

She relaxed a little, “Knight Gavin.”

He wasted no time in walking to the desk and pulling out a wad of holotags from his pocket. He plopped them down on the desk before the Scribe unceremoniously, “What can you tell me about these, Scribe?”

He felt he could trust her. She and Danse felt safe and familiar to him. He was actually, dare he even think it, completely comfortable around the two of them.

She timidly plucked one from the pile and held it up to examine the name. Her brow furrowed slightly as she picked another up, then another. Haylen looked confused, “You should turn these in to Elder Maxson.” She paused, “Where did you get these?”

Gavin hesitated, “I... found them.” His tone indicated he was not going to talk about it. 

_Found them around the necks of people I slaughtered._

The Scribe spread the tags out on the desk, “These are from soldiers who have gone M.I.A. in the past months. Some of them have been missing for quite a while.” She moved some into a pile, “With the exception of these five...or...six. These ones are fake.”

Gavin glanced over to Danse, “Somebody went through some trouble to make it appear as though Brotherhood soldiers were involved in what happened to me.” He examined the forgeries. McKinny, Gauge and Tennet were among them. While aboard the Prydwen, he had told Danse a very glossed over version of the ordeal in the factory, leaving out upsetting details he would rather not remember. Gavin’s hand absently touched his throat for a moment as he remembered the names he would never forget. 

The Paladin looked confused, “I have no idea who would do that or why. There are no secrets in the Brotherhood.” He shook his head with a small forlorn look, “Too bad the ghoul’s in a vegetative state, he could have more information.”

The mention of Hancock’s condition made Gavin flinch inside. He had been mentally unresponsive for a couple days since being shot, his heart had stopped from the trauma and Cade had kept him alive until Elder Maxson told Gavin to get him off the Prydwen. It was for the better, anyway, as they had strapped Hancock to the bed for fear he would suddenly wake up feral, which had pissed Gavin off greatly and caused a fight. Several crew members had mentioned killing John while Senior Scribe Neriah continued to make attempts to use him as research material. Gavin started to seriously fear his safety aboard the airship. 

Haylen noded in agreement, 

“Would be nice to just crack open his skull and peek inside.”

Gavin growled at her but suddenly paused, “Actually…” His eyes lit up, “Maybe I can do just that.” 

Danse furrowed his brow, “Impossible.” 

Gav smiled a little, “Remember how I told you I got into Kellogg’s head?” He watched the Paladin’s sudden realization and they both spoke, “The Memory Den.” 

Gavin actually had an alternate idea. Perhaps Doctor Amari could figure out some way to wake John up, the thought of watching recent memories for clues was just a possible bonus in his eyes.

_As it would turn out, he didn’t think this through very well._

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Gavin entered Goodneighbor carrying Hancock carefully against his body. He had an IV bag on his chest and a brilliant little machine that helped him breathe, but beyond those, Cade hadn’t known what else to do for the ghoul as stimpacks simply weren’t cutting it. The vertibird had dropped him off quite a ways away and Danse had carried Hancock without question all the way to the door of the town before reluctantly remaining outside and returning to the aircraft.

KL-E-O and Daisy were the first ones to come out. The assaultron and the ghoul escorted Gavin to the memory den and by the time he reached the door, half the town had surrounded him. They had all piled into the front room of the Memory Den, speaking in hushed whispers and asking a million questions about their mayor which Gavin ignored. 

Irma made her best attempts to shoo people out of the room, which was growing heated and stuffy, as KL-E-O blocked the doorway to the downstairs after Gavin. Her large metal frame and deep tinny voice warned everyone, in detailed threats, to stay back. She did, however, allow Fahrenheit to pass through the door. 

Fahrenheit backed herself into a corner out of the way and frustratedly ran a hand through the long half of her red hair, then rubbed on the shaved stubble on the other side of her head. It was a nervous habit she had that, save for Hancock, nobody had ever witnessed. She never allowed her feelings to show. 

Gavin was vaguely aware of her presence in the far corner as he lay Hancock in one of the memory pods. Doctor Amari watched with a look of shock on her face, “What do you expect me to do?”

Gav stepped back from the large egg shaped pod, ducking out from under the glass, “Everything you can.”

  
  


###  **Thanks for the Memories**

Amari readjusted the wires coming from the cap on Gavin’s head, “I believe,” She pressed something against the cap that sounded like a button snapping and then she twisted something else, “I can take the parts of your brain…” She trailed off in thought and shook her head for a moment as she moved to a terminal, “Maybe they will awaken his…” She trailed off once more then moved to the side of the pod containing Gavin. She placed one hand gently on the glass above him, “Gavin, are you absolutely sure you want to do this? There will undoubtedly be side effects that may include death, parallelization, coma-”

Gavin interrupted, “Yes, Amari. If there is even a small chance this could work, I will do it.” _After all_ , he thought to himself, _it’s all my fault_.

Amari moved back to the terminal, “Your memories are going to intertwine. I will do my best to separate them out after you have, in essence, jump started his neurons.” Gavin listened to the clicks of the keys under her deft fingers, “You are going to have to move through clusters of pretty intense memories as I attempt to untangle the surrounding ones.” Again she hesitated, “you’re sure?”

Gavin was silent so she gave a small sigh and started the process.

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

It didn’t start out so bad. Amari had him begin with older memories first. Hancock as a child. Gavin was a little surprised to discover he had been a scavver at some point. Or, perhaps, not so surprised, since it had explained much of Hancock’s ability to straight out murder the fuck out of people with no remorse. He had watched a memory of Hancock as a small ten year old boy living in a little waterfront scavver settlement somewhere after or before living in Diamond City. He had light red brown hair and freckles across his nose, bright inquisitive blue eyes and an all too large smile.

Little Hancock had been stealing chems from other raiders in the settlement, even at this young age. Gavin watched him quietly slink around a haphazardly placed wooden wall and grab a first aid kit. He was peering inside as a large man entered and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, shaking him violently before slamming him up against the wall hard enough to break a board off the side. Young John kicked his feet wildly and twisted around in the man’s grip, landing a well placed boot to the raider’s groin. The man dropped him and he started to run, but a large hand grabbed his ankle and pulled him down. The man and Hancock were both on the floor now, John was yanked close to him as the man growled in hurt anger. He pulled John under him and started to hit him. Once, twice, then he yelled and clutched his stomach. The raider’s eyes were wide and surprised as Hancock squirmed out from hinder him, holding a knife with his clothes covered in blood. 

Young John stood and stared at the man as he lay dying on the wooden pallet. His face was cold and hard, yet full of curious wonder at the sight. This was the first man Hancock had killed. 

Amari’s voice was heard quietly in Gavin’s head, “Go on to the next, I think I got this bundle done. This seems to be working so far.”

Gavin moved on to a later memory of Hancock looking to be about 15. He had grown considerably and was taller and lanky, even then. His hair was longer, shaggy over his ears. His older brother had pushed him and yelled, “You are nothing but a worthless disgrace with no goals, no ambitions, and no direction in life! You are nothing but a burden to the family!” Hancock allowed himself to be shoved backwards into the wall of the house they were now living in, knocking an old picture of a lighthouse off the wall. His face was resigned, it appeared as though this fight had occurred many times. His brother seemed angry that John wasn’t fighting back so he added, “And you’re a fucking _coward_!”

Hancock growled at the word and suddenly lunged at his brother, a violent fistfight ensued leaving them both bloodied, but his older brother the worse for wear and lay unconscious on the floor. 

Gavin stare, wide eyed, at the scene. Hancock had told him their childhood was happy, he had no idea that he had been treated that way. John lied either to make Gavin feel better, or himself. 

Amari urged him on and he was happy to leave the scene. 

Until he came across the next one.

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

It looked different, somehow. Not as hazy, more crisp and clean. He stood inside a house which was decorated beautifully. Gavin narrowed his eyes and glanced around. The furniture was pristine. The walls weren’t crumbling or cracked. All the windows were in place and unbroken. This house was pre-war and it looked quite familiar.

Gavin froze as he heard a girl’s voice down the hall, “Bring something back for me!” His heart skipped a beat as he recognized that voice. He stood, stupefied, as he watched his teenage self walk into the living room, his younger sister following behind, “Maybe some sugar bombs. Chocolate!” 

This wasn’t Hancock’s memory, it was his, and it was not pleasant. Gavin suddenly wanted out. He couldn’t take his eyes off the scene as he spoke, 

“Amari?” 

He watched his younger self rub a knuckle into the girl’s dark hair playfully then give a tight one-armed hug before releasing her, 

“I’ll see what I can do, kiddo.”

Gavin watched himself leave the house and his voice grew desperate, 

“Amari!”

There was a time lapse in the unknown part of the memory which made it appear to have been only seconds before Gavin had opened the door again, when in the reality of time it had been roughly forty-five minutes. The room had changed around him without his notice. Cupboards and drawers were open, their contents spilled all over the floor. The couch cushions were overturned, the TV was broken. 

Gav swallowed, “Please no…” and he found himself compelled to follow his younger self quickly down the hall. 

Teenage Gavin beat on her bedroom door for a moment, yelling her name. It was locked. He could hear whimpering and crying inside, then she squeaked out his name. He kicked his foot into the door twice, breaking it open. It swung wide and slammed against the wall, proffering a wide view of the scene. 

Gavin watched helplessly as his younger self ran into the room, startling a man who had been crouched over the girl. The man stood as Gavin rushed him, a flash of metal gleaming as it bit into his younger face. 

Gavin stood silently, touching the long scar across his eye softly. 

The man escaped young Gavin’s grip and jumped out the window, running down the dark street.

His little sister lay on the floor, hands tied behind her back, dress torn open, covered in cuts and blood. His teen self dropped to the floor beside her and scooped her up into an embrace. Her head fell into the crook of his arm and she said his name again before letting out a pained moan, “It hurts…” His eyes flowed over her body, she had been stabbed multiple times in various places and her blood was pooled on the floor. So much blood, bright vivid red. It was brighter in the memory than it had been in reality. Her body felt cold, Gavin could remember it suddenly. He could feel her skin against his arms all over again as he watched himself cradle her small crying form. 

Her voice was weak as she sobbed, “Please don’t leave me...Don’t go…”

Gavin hugged her tightly as her sobbing stopped and her head lolled back. 

He was sickeningly desperate to leave. “Amari! Please!” 

This had been a memory he had worked for years to dull and the sudden viewing of it had violently sliced open and salted the old wound. This memory had been the entire catalyst of his life’s events thereafter. Running away from home, joining the military at a much too young age in order to escape and seeing his sister’s murderer in the face of every man he killed.

The doctor’s voice suddenly spoke, “I’m sorry, I couldn’t quite get the memories untangled from each other in this spot. I did my best. You can move on.”

Gavin gladly pressed forward. He wondered if Amari somehow knew what each memory was about. When he had entered Kellogg’s mind, she seemed to know the topic of each memory he had viewed. Had she watched this one?

He was still shaking from the previous memory as he came to the next. Hancock had a girlfriend. Gavin didn’t focus on what the two of them were discussing, he was still too upset at the raw wound the previous vision had dug out. He did catch the end of it, however, where the woman yelled and threw a box of mentats at John. It seemed to explode as it his his chest, spilling them across the kitchen floor. Hancock just stood there, glaring angrily as the woman stormed out of the house. Gavin couldn’t be sure, but the woman looked to be in the early stages of a pregnancy. 

Gavin suddenly wished he had paid closer attention to that one, it seemed important. 

Amari chimed in, “Go ahead. This is actually working out better than I thought it would.” 

He didn’t want to go on anymore. He was afraid of what he might see next. He knew he would see the inevitable ending where John had been beaten, but he was afraid of seeing more of his own memories mixed in with Hancock’s. He had not been prepared for that and it had blindsided him. Gavin hesitated a long time before finally moving forward slowly.

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

A newer memory.

John stood in Mayor McDonough’s office in Diamond City. This appeared to be about five years ago, judging on what the Mayor looked like. 

Hancock had grown up considerably. He had filled out, though still seemed a little more on the skinny side. His freckles were nearly invisible, his brown red hair was combed back neatly. He was quite handsome, if not downright sexy in an outcast rebel sort of way. His bright ice blue eyes were sharp and quite intense as he stared at his older brother in utter shock, anger, and disbelief. 

McDonough spread his arms as he watched the scene below out the stadium window, “I did it, John! It’s finally mine.”

Hancock nearly yelled in utter rage, “Stop this! Now! Call it off!” His tone changed as he was ignored, “Please. Please stop this!”

The Mayor frowned, “You know I can’t, John.” He sighed, “Look, I got nothing against ghouls, but I have to do what the voters want. I can’t betray the people. This has been my dream ever since we were kids, nothing will stand in my way.”

He turned to Hancock, smiling a wide grin that looked frighteningly predatory and hungry. John snarled and stormed out of the office angrily. 

Amari urged Gavin on and he took a few breaths before continuing. He was treading closer towards the end. 

The next memory started out in a riot running through Goodneighbor. Hancock was leading a militia through the streets, shooting and killing drunken men with vindictive animosity. The drifter militia ran into the Statehouse, storming up the stairs and busting down the door at the top. 

Inside stood a man who Gavin assumed to be the previous tyrant Mayor, Vic. Hancock was the one who had tied the noose and wrapped it angrily around the man’s throat as his men held him down. They had quickly tied the other end to the railing of the balcony and wasted no time tossing the man over the edge without a second thought. Hancock leaned over the edge and watched Vic dangle and kick until he was still, swaying gently side to side in the air. 

He looked over the street below, filled with cheering people. Hancock raised his arms out to them and spoke with stern conviction, “Goodneighbor - of the people, for the people!” 

And the crowd cheered louder as they looked upon their new mayor and hero with reverence. 

Gavin had noticed briefly before moving on that Fahrenheit stood next to John on the balcony. She was half smiling at Hancock with a surprising look of...relief? She looked down over the railing and her face suddenly turned into that familiar expressionless mask as she watched the man swaying below.

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Closer.

Gavin was still numb from watching his own memory, but he still gave a small smile as he watched the vision of the first time he had met John. Walking into Goodneighbor and being confronted by Finn who had tried to extort him. 

Finn lit his cigarette and smiled at Gavin, “Hold up there. First time in Goodneighbor? Can’t go walking around without insurance.”

Gavin watched himself shift his weight irritably, “Unless it’s ‘keep dumb assholes away from me’ insurance, I’m not interested.”

Gav smiled a broader grin as Hancock approached from around the corner, “Woah woah, Time out.” He paused and looked at newcomer Gavin, then back to Finn, “Someone steps through the gates first time, they’re a guest. You lay off that extortion crap.”

Finn glared, “what do you care. He ain’t one of us.”

Hancock’s expression grew a little cold, “No love for your mayor, Finn? I said let ‘em go.”

Finn angrily threw his cigarette down and stomped it out, “You’re soft, Hancock. You keep letting outsiders walk all over us and pretty soon there’ll be a new mayor.”

John took a few steps toward Finn, “C’mon man, this is me we’re talkin’ about.” He spread his arms wide, “Lemme tell you something...”

Before Finn could reply, Hancock stuck him twice in the chest with a knife and let him drop to the ground. He feigned a touch of sorrow and looked down at the body, “Now why’d you have to go and say that, huh? Breakin’ my heart over here.”

Hancock looked up at newcomer Gavin with that endearing smile of his, “I knew you had ol’ Finn handled back there, but a Mayor’s gotta make a point sometimes. You alright?”

Gavin watched the interaction between himself and Hancock and chuckled. He could watch this memory a thousand times and it would never grow old. He was attracted to John’s charisma immediately, ghoul or not. He had actually been fascinated by the man and felt like he needed to get to know him better.

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The next memory was he and John in Water Street Apartments. Kendra’s body lay slumped in a corner and Gavin was still holding his pistol. Rather, Kellogg’s pistol. It was a beautifully effective weapon, but every time Gavin needed to use it he was reminded of the killer it used to belong to and that it had been used to murder his wife.

They were having a talk and Gavin was amused when he remembered it was the talk. 

Gavin watched himself cock his head in curiosity, “Have you ever thought about us as maybe more than just friends?”

Hancock smiled, “Heh. It that obvious? But come on. You don’t wanna wake up to this mug every morning. Wouldn’t wish that on anyone I care about.”

Gavin smiled as he watched his other self smile, ”Who I fall for is my decision, and I’ve fallen for you.”

John looked immensely pleased, “I wouldn’t expect that kind of lapse in judgement from you, but I guess it works out for me then, doesn’t it?” His eyes seemed to sparkle, “Times like this I know all that karma stuff is bull because someone like me shouldn’t be this lucky.” His grin deepened sweetly, “Come on, Love, let’s get this freakshow on the road.”

Gavin hesitated before moving forward to the next memory, he was even closer now and he was apprehensive about what the next one held. He found, when he eventually moved, that it was Sanctuary. 

He stood in his old house with John and Paladin Danse. He was just leaving to go find Preston and he had left John and Danse alone for the time. 

John was sitting on the counter drumming his heels against the side and smiling up at the Paladin with that little playful grin which seemed to annoy Danse greatly. He had his coat off and the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up past his elbows. It had been hot that day. Even so, Danse wore his jumpsuit done all the way up to the belt like collar around his neck.

Gavin had recalled this to be a few weeks after the farmhouse and he furrowed his brow in wonder about their relationship after all that had happened. Where had all three of them stood with one another, not just Danse and John. He wondered what it was that John had said to Danse before Gavin came back in the farmhouse that night, he never did tell Gav anything about it. He had actually hoped Amari’s path would have taken him back to that night, Gavin wanted to see what Hancock did and said. He wanted to watch the events unfold from John’s point of view. 

As it was, Gavin stood watching the two of them interacting here in his old house, now used for settlers. 

Danse sighed, “Knock it off.”

Hancock paused his drumming and shrugged, “Bored.”

The Paladin narrowed his eyes briefly as he contemplated the ghoul. Carefully he asked, “Do you ever get jealous when Gavin…” He bit back his words and redacted, “ _Flirts_ with other people?”

Hancock gave a small shrug, “Sure, sometimes. I do have a heart, after all...and fears and insecurities...” he was surprisingly honest with Danse. He cocked his head to the side in thought and continued, “But I won’t tie him down.” His eyes sparkled mischievously as he smiled lewdly, “Unless he asks me to.”

Danse snorted in exasperation. John shrugged again, “I know he loves me and it’s me he sleeps with every night. That’s all I want. If he feels the need to stray, I know he’ll come back. If he doesn’t...I’m not going to force him to do what he doesn’t wanna do. You know what I’m sayin’?”

The Paladin stare for a moment then spoke softly, “You two have a strange relationship.”

Hancock chuckled, “Brother, nothin’ is strange in _this_ world. So I say do what makes you feel good.”

Danse nodded slightly in understanding and they were quiet for a time. 

The Paladin was staring at Hancock’s arm with a strange scowl. Hancock raised his eyebrows and suddenly held his hand out to Danse, “Go ahead.” The Paladin looked confused for a second before John continued, “I know that look. You’re wondering what it feels like.”

Danse blushed lightly, “I...um...no.” 

Hancock narrowed his eyes. He knew better. He continued to hold his arm out until Danse reached timidly. He carefully ran his fingertips up Hancock’s forearm in wonder. 

Gavin watched with slight amusement. He knew what it felt like. It was actually warm, silky in certain places and puckery in others like a scar. Little grooves and pits weren’t as off putting to the touch as they were to the eye. His skin would still give way to touch and muscles could easily be felt underneath. Gavin could even feel John’s vein pulse in his neck beneath his lips with every firm kiss. 

The Paladin withdrew his hand slowly and John flashed a cocky grin, “Now you can picture it better later on when yer thinking about me.”

Danse clenched his teeth, “I will _not_ , now or ever…”

He gave a grunt and turned to storm out of the house, walking past Gavin across the street. Gav remembered that and laughed to himself, “So that’s what happened.”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Gavin cautiously moved on. The next one would probably be it. He was suddenly struck with the realization that he could very well have relived Nora’s death at any point. Luckily he hadn’t, he wasn’t sure if he could handle it along side all the rest of these memories. No, he was sure he wouldn’t have been able to.

Hancock was backhanded roughly across the face, scooting the chair he sat in along the floor a few inches. He snapped his glare defiantly back to the man who had done it. 

Gavin gasped, he thought he was prepared for this one but he wasn’t. 

Amari’s voice rang softly though Gavin’s mind, “Ah, here we go…”

She could see, after all. Or at least get a feel for what was happening somehow. 

The man who had hit Hancock turned casually around, speaking into the recorder in his hand, “Ah yes, the infamous vault dweller I have heard so much about. I have your pet ghoul.”

Hancock leaned forward as much as he could while bound to the chair, “Kill them all!”

Gavin stared coldly at the man behind the voice, “He sure is a feisty one.” 

Gav started to feel hatred boil up as the scene was rehashed from John’s point of view. The man who spoke on the tape was eerily calm as he went on,

“You will follow my associates and do everything they tell you without question. You will not harm them, you will not attempt to run away. I believe you understand the consequences so I needn’t spell them out for you.” 

Gavin’s heart beat rapidly in his throat as he watched the man turn the recorder off and remove the tape. He handed it to McKinny, who grinned wickedly at Hancock before leaving. Gav watched the memory, trying not to flinch at the part where he had acted out and fought with Gauge early on. The calm man who had made the tape had hit Hancock a few good times in the ribs and stomach as punishment. 

Gavin stepped forward and reached out uselessly at the image before him when the man had brought out the shock baton and hit Hancock across the face. 

He tried to calm himself, distracting his thoughts and what he watched by searching the room. In the corner near the wall where Gavin never noticed while he was physically there sat a small wastebasket. Inside the trash bin were three empty boxes of Fancy Lads Snack Cakes and wads of wrappers. 

He narrowed his eyes at the trash and tried to recall a fleeting memory about the snack cakes. He suddenly remembered reading a terminal in the Institute. All gen-3 synths are addicted to Fancy Lads Snack Cakes for some reason. Every last one. The scientists there never could program it out of them and stood baffled by it. No wonder this man was so strangely calm. 

Gavin had seen the man’s reaction to John rocking his chair and he had also listened to the way he spoke. He seemed like a courser, yet something was off about the way he acted. As if...he actually acted. He was acting like a courser, but this was not a courser’s function, all they were for was retrieving runaway synths. This synth was wearing the pieces of a courser’s black leather outfit, the pants and boots were suddenly recognizable. The long leather coat was missing as well as the sunglasses they all usually wore. 

He briefly wondered if the other guard was also a synth, but his speculation was set aside when the man had several bouts of being thoroughly rattled by things Hancock said or did. 

Gavin found himself surprisingly cold until the end when the not-courser was putting his gloves on casually, “Your hero is here.”

He watched John labor to breathe as he sat bound to the chair, “You’re gunna get it now.”

The man didn’t flinch or falter as he wriggled his fingers in his gloves, “On the contrary. I will be departing here directly.” He cocked his head to the side, tho his facial features remained unchanging, “It’s been a…pleasure.” The last word sounded amused.

Gavin gasped audibly as he watched the synth slam his fist down against Hancock’s broken collarbone and twist his knuckles in deeply. Gavin stare wide eyed as John let out a yell that turned into a scream of pain. It was a long drawn out scream, encouraged by the man’s fist pressing roughly into him. It was a sound Gavin never wanted to hear from someone he loved ever again.

John rocked back in his chair and growled loudly in a feral voice, “FUCK...YOU!”

He tried to pull his feet free from the duct tape holding him to the legs of the chair and he rocked violently until he fell backwards, hitting the back of his head against the cement floor. 

The not-courser placed a foot on the crossbar of the chair and pulled it back upright. He smiled and motioned out the open door with his head, “Your knight needed some...motivation.”

Gavin wanted to throw up. The synth was using Hancock’s pained screams to urge him on from across the factory. Pushing him to hurry up and kill everyone inside. In the nearby room, he heard the distinct air splitting sound of the not-courser relaying back to the Institute. 

He watched in frustration and anger as his other self and Hancock walked out the door to the fire escape. He wanted to yell at them not to go, but it would have been futile. The gunshot was a painful pinpoint in the memory, echoing through his head for a much too long moment. He watched his other self pull Hancock back inside the building and the memory started to become fuzzy around him. A darkness crept in, swallowing everything up. The remainder was muffled and dark,

Hancock clutched at Gavin’s shirt and struggled to speak, “Don’t...leave me…”

His throat tightened. Those had been his sister’s words. He had once forgotten and now remembered them in painful clarity.

Other Gavin leaned down and cradled him, “ _You_ don’t leave _me_ …”

Hancock was quiet, his breathing ragged and wet. He struggled and tried to sit up, but couldn’t move. His hand fell from Gavin’s shirt weakly and he nearly whispered, “You know….I never make a promise….I can’t keep…”

Gavin held him tighter and nearly yelled in panic, “Then promise me!”

Suddenly the darkness took over and everything was black. It felt like seconds and days all at once before Gavin heard himself yelling. His eyes snapped open and he struggled wildly against someone holding him down. A sudden weight was laying across his chest, metal pressing him down against the bed. He punched at it a few times, his actions making him tired enough to slow and notice who was holding him down.

It was Fahrenheit. 

She was pinning him down with her iron armor clad chest, her face turned away to avoid Gavin’s disorientated attacks. 

Gavin took a few breaths then pushed against her, “Get off me!”

She reluctantly stood and backed away, watching him wearily as he calmed himself, now remembering where he was.

Gavin checked the pod beside him where Hancock remained unresponsive. He leaned forward, swinging his legs out of his pod, “It didn’t work?”

Amari carefully spoke, “Not sure. His brain function has changed significantly. I think he should be okay...perhaps.” She looked to Gavin suspiciously, “Are you okay?”

Gav shot her an icy glare, “No, I’m pretty fucking far from okay.”

  
  
  
  



	3. The Game

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 3 of The Game in which Sole Survivor Gavin hangs out with the Brotherhood of Steel, finally deciding to commit to their cause. He still refuses to say 'Sir'. Hancock comes out of his coma and urges Gavin to go to the Institute to stab a bitch in the face. On a side note, Gavin is idolized by some kid, much to his chagrin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((Serious spoilers about Shaun. If you haven't gotten yourself into the Institute yet, be warned.))

  
  


"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading."  
\- Lao Tzu -

  


###  **The Game**

The door creaked open slowly and Fahrenheit stepped in, closing it behind her with a quiet ‘click’. She leaned against it for a moment as she eyed Gavin across the room, slouched in an armchair beside the memory pod. He regarded her cautiously as he straightened himself up a little. The redhead entered the room and her eyes washed over Hancock, who was still lying quietly in the pod. She tilt her head to the side, “I can stay here with him if you want to stretch your legs a bit.”

Gavin slumped back down in his chair as a reply. Fahrenheit gave a small shrug as she stepped over to a nearby chair and pulled a little round table up next to it. She reached underneath the metal chest piece she wore and pulled out a small flat box, setting it carefully on the metal table. Her hands casually worked over the buckles that held her metal forearm guards in place and she let them drop at her feet. She unbuckled the sides of her chest armor then slid it off over her head, setting it down on the floor beside her chair with a heavy thunk. Without the bulky chest piece and armguards she suddenly looked so small. He watched as she swept the long half of her hair behind her ear and opened the box. She removed objects from it and set them down on the table with soft clicks of wood on metal. Gavin gave a soft snort when he realized it was a chess board. 

Fahrenheit said nothing as she nonchalantly turned the opened box over to reveal the checkered backside. She didn’t look up as she carefully set the board up to play. As she set the last piece down, she made a swift motion with one hand to the opposite side of the table, beckoning Gavin to join her. She waited quietly as he finally decided to get up and move a chair over to her little table.

He looked her in the eye and spoke quietly, “What’s your story, Fahrenheit? How do you know John?” 

She moved a pawn on the chessboard but didn’t answer. 

Gavin moved a piece, “How about if I win the game, you tell me.”

Fahrenheit glanced up at him and moved another piece, “Deal.” 

They played in silence for a while, which was nice. The soft clicks of the wooden pieces was relaxing. Gavin’s thoughts wandered and he found himself puzzling over the same questions repeatedly to avoid allowing his mind to settle on the memories he witnessed. _Stay busy. Don’t close your eyes. Never sleep again._ Gavin could see it all whenever he drifted off and he would wake with a start or a choked scream. 

“Check.” Her voice was a quiet intrusion into Gavin’s thoughts. 

He squinted at the board, “Huh…?”

Fahrenheit glanced over to him evenly, “Check.” She spoke very deliberately, “As in, check your king, he’s in danger.”

Her words were firm and sounded like a warning that sat outside of their game. He looked the board over, more seriously now. Gavin eyed the pieces remaining and thought to himself, again for nearly the hundredth time, who is using me and to what end? If I am a piece in this game...which piece am I? He reached out slowly and decided on moving his knight out in front as a sacrifice. 

She took it with her queen, carefully removing the knight from the board. She held it up between her index and middle fingers like a cigarette, examining the piece as if it were alien. Fahrenheit set it to the side and looked up at Gavin through her lashes, “Good move.”

Gavin narrowed his eyes in thought, “How do I keep them from using me in their game?”

She relaxed back in the chair, “Do something unexpected.” She raised an eyebrow, “Or become the player.” Fahrenheit waved her hand flippantly in the air, “Or do both.”

He nodded slightly in thought then stood up. She watched him suddenly move to the door, opening it with a certain determination. Her voice followed after him as she glanced to the unfinished game, “Do you concede?”

Gavin smiled tiredly at her from the doorway, “Never.”

  
  


###  **Commitment PT. 2**

Danse narrowed his eyes at Gavin suspiciously, “Why the sudden change of heart?”

Gav shrugged, “Guess you convinced me with all your incessant codex quoting and tales of brotherly love.” He smiled wryly at the Paladin, who clenched his jaw to bite off any remarks. “Does it matter? I’m here.” 

_The enemy of my enemy is my friend._

They approached Proctor Ingram just outside a large storage bay in the airport terminal building which had been recommissioned as some sort of small make-shift assembly plant. She stood in her modified power armor frame, built to help her be mobile with her missing legs, rather than functional for battle. Gavin was looking at the working Scribes in wonder as Ingram spoke, “Unless you’re blind as a bat you’ve noticed we’ve been building a gantry on the tarmac. Maxson and Kells have been looking for something that will tip the scales when we go toe to toe with the Institute.” She paused and gestured with an armored hand to the airship moored above, “Now, the Prydwen’s a big beast, but she’s not built for fighting.” Her gaze leveled and she looked reverent, “That’s where our new project comes in…”

  
  


###  **Brotherhood Babysitting**

“Absolutely not!” Gavin’s voice was firm and angry, “I don’t care how you train squires, that _little boy_ is not coming with us to a known Mutie den. I can’t do this again!”

Danse shifted his weight in his power armor with a sigh of exasperation as he glowered down at Gavin, “You are not in a position to make that decision, _Knight_.”

Gav glared dangerously, “Yes, but you are, _Paladin_.” They stared each other down for a moment before Gavin glanced over to the fourteen year old tipping his chair at the break table and dumping the remaining bits of chocolate sugarbombs into his mouth from the box. The kid nearly fell back in the chair as he tipped a little too far and Gavin sighed pointedly, “I refuse to be on any strike team that has children assigned to it after the clusterfuck that occurred on LC Kells' order.”

The Paladin clenched his jaw tightly as he regarded Gavin with a look of utter irritation, “Elder Maxson was this boy’s age when he fought a deathclaw single handed-”

Gavin interrupted, “Not every kid is capable of being the fantastic fucking wonder-child Arthur Maxson!”

Danse took a step forward, his metal boot slamming down as his large armored finger stabbed at Gavin’s chest, “You will not talk about Elder Maxson that way. You will do as I say and stop questioning my orders. Suit up and shut up, soldier.”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Gavin was crouching next to his issued power armor suit near an old busted up transmission tower across a field from the Medford Memorial Hospital. He stared at the kid who was eagerly listening in on the Paladin’s orders to the rest of the strike team.

One of the first missions Gavin had been handed from Lancer Captain Kells, after seemingly gaining the man’s approval by doing menial tasks, was to bring a young squire out onto the field and show him the ropes. Gav had reservations about the idea, but the location had been cleared a few weeks prior and Gavin was the head of the ordeal. This gave him leeway to do things his own way, which meant stealthily as opposed to kicking down the door with guns blazing.

Turned out the location was not as empty as they thought it was and the building was swarming with Muties. The kid was overly enthusiastic, acting as though Gavin and Danse were some sort of invincible heroes. At one point the squire had run from a Mutie hound straight into a grenade bouquet hanging from the ceiling. Gavin’s reaction was quick enough to get them out seconds before the explosion, but their position had been compromised and a wave of super mutants rushed them as the building threatened to collapse on their heads.

These kids were a liability. That boy’s hyper thrill of being on the battlefield had almost gotten them all killed and Gavin refused to take any more squires out to mutie dens. 

_Yet here he was._

Gavin had seen some young boys in the military before. In fact, he had lied about his own age and joined younger than was allowed. They had years on these little squires in the Brotherhood, however, and they hadn’t been fighting bat shit supermutant suiciders carrying goddamn mini-nukes. It was understood that the Brotherhood didn’t possess the luxury of time now. Not enough time to train or recruit as they had before, but this was irresponsible. 

Gavin didn’t want to be accountable for anyone around him, especially loose cannon inexperienced children. He had always preferred to be a grunt, never responsible for people’s lives, though he felt somehow compelled to try and save everyone. Knight Rhys had been right when he assessed Gavin upon their meeting back in the police station months prior. He had called him a loner and knew he had no real direction or concrete desire to join the Brotherhood. No commitment to anything. 

“The other squires are going to be so jealous!” The kid’s voice was annoyingly excited. Just like the last one. “I wanna be a sniper, just like you, Knight Gavin, Sir!” 

Gav blinked away his thoughts and stared at the kid, “war isn’t a game.” What was the kid’s name again? Was it...Shaine? Best not to get too attached. After all, if this was how they trained squires, he wouldn’t be around long. Gavin just couldn’t help himself. He sighed then gave a small smile, “I’m glad you want to take the smarter route. Shoot from as far away as you can.”

The boy’s face lit up and he went back to stand underneath the large dilapidated transmission tower with another member of the team. 

Gavin stared after the boy and stood up, watching Danse approach from the corner of his eye, “Proctor Ingram should make little power armor suits for the kids.” Gav snort at the image in his head of little six-year-olds running around in tiny armor killing deathclaws. 

Danse stood next to Gav, “I agree. This has been brought up.” 

Gavin turned to him, “Seriously?” He furrowed his brow for a moment then relaxed with a sigh as he looked over the Paladin’s face. Obviously, he was serious, he was Danse. 

The Paladin glanced sideways at Gavin, “Why won’t you wear your power armor? It is tactically advantageous.”

“I dunno,” Gavin looked at his issued suit and shrugged, “There’s just something about being in the fight, actually _in_ the fight instead of disconnected by armor.” He lifted his sniper rifle and ran a hand lovingly along the long barrel, “Something about feeling your weapon, your fingertip on the trigger, laying pressed against the cold hard ground in wait.”

Danse was silent as he mulled it over. He would never understand. He loved his armor in the same way Gavin loved his rifle. 

“Well?” Gavin slung his rifle over his back and unholstered his pistol, impatiently examining it one last time, “We going to get this show on the road or what?”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The kid had a rifle. He lay on the hillside next to Gavin, emulating his posture precisely. An unarmored knight squat next to them in the tall brush, her suit left back near the pylon with Gavin’s. The other three members of Danse’s team ran headlong towards the hospital’s main entrance. They had planned to startle the green-skinned bastards into coming out of hiding from around the outside of the building so they wouldn’t be surprised later by suiciders and hounds in the close quarters of the building. Danse and his two knights were relying on Gavin to keep them from being surrounded or blown up. The tactics involved in the use of power armor were a bit different than Gavin was taught in the military pre-war, but he could appreciate it, nonetheless.

Gavin watched through his scope as the team rushed the large super mutant standing guard near the entrance to the hospital amidst hanging sacks of chunked up body parts. They overtook him immediately, but allowed the monster to bellow out some gruff shit talk about hitting like a radroach before turning him into a bloody heap. Gav picked off the two hounds and single enforcer that came barreling around the corner from behind the hospital then waited patiently for any more to poke their heads out. 

The squire seemed impatient and broke Gavin’s concentration, “I wanna kill one!”

Gav sighed and pointed a finger to the rooftop. He wasn’t sure if he should leave anything up to the kid, but the mutie on the roof seemed like the least harmful of the bunch for the moment. He glanced up and wondered silently where it had gone. He knew the thing was still up there somewhere. 

Suddenly Gavin spotted a red flashing light in a window as a suicider crashed through the wall and small round glass portal two stories above the team below. 

He was vaguely aware of the shot fired at the same time as his own as he watched the mini-nuke explode with a bright flash while the beast was just clearing the window, raining chunks over Danse and his team. He wasn’t the one who hit the nuke. Gavin glanced over at the squire incredulously, “That was either an incredibly lucky shot or you’ve been seriously practicing, kid.” 

The boy’s smile couldn’t get any bigger as he nodded, “Every day from the Prydwen’s forecastle, Sir!” He suddenly looked worried, “Um….please don’t tell anyone…”

Well, that had explained the box he found up there containing all the .50 cal ammo. Gavin suddenly really liked this kid. Sneaky and disobedient, improvising with really good reflexes. 

_Dammit._

It was clear the mutants inside were bunkering down now as no more came out. The one on the rooftop, which Gavin allowed the kid to pick off, was the last of them. Gavin stood and dropped his earmuffs to the ground as he slung his rifle back over his shoulder then took his pistol in hand. Before he took off to join the rest of the strike team, he smiled at the kid, “Keep the grounds clear.”

The kid was ecstatic, “Yes, Sir!”

Gavin entered the open doors after the rest of the team had already begun clearing the room. They were all crouched in the doorway of the hospital behind large pillars trading shots with the muties inside the foyer. Gavin crouched behind Danse, using him as a shield. The Paladin cursed him for not wearing his armor, but Gav completely ignored him as he fired at mutants over Danse’s armored shoulder. 

They cleared the first floor and the open balcony type hallways above, moving together up the stairs to the next floor. Then the next. The place was crawling with mutants and they had to move slowly through each room, taking care to clear completely. They had nearly been overwhelmed twice and Gavin cursed about how loud their power armor was. He would have preferred to sneak through the whole place and pick off the muties one by one in utter silence but Danse had forbidden it. 

Gavin lifted the high-powered magnet from the large box it had been in, “This is the thing Ingram needs?”

Danse shrugged, “I suppose so.”

One of the knights took it from him casually, “Yep, that’s the thing. Let’s GTFO.”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

As they left the building, gunshots were heard up on the hill. The four of them rushed up to find three super mutants surrounding the transmission tower on one side and two suits of power armor underneath. The kid was nowhere to be found and the knight who had been accompanying him was crouched down in her suit firing a laser at the mutants. They ran past two dead muties and fired on the three compromising the knight.

As the bodies fell, Gavin and Danse approached the knight while the others secured the area. Her armor was dented and broken in several places, it looked as though she had been taking the brunt of the firefight and wouldn’t have lasted much longer if left alone with the encroaching muties. She pulled off her busted helmet and shook her sweaty hair from her face, “Not a moment too soon, Sir!” 

Danse examined her suit, “Are you okay, Knight?”

Gavin interrupted, “Where’s the kid?” 

The Knight turned and moved to Gavin’s suit. She opened it quickly and the kid fell out backward onto his rump. Gav grabbed the kid’s hand and hoisted him up, “How the hell did you fit in there?”

The boy smiled, “Uncomfortably, Sir.”

  
  


###  **In Agreement**

Gavin ran up the stairs to the statehouse and found Fahrenheit lounging on the couch, as usual. He glanced around, “Where is he?” She pointed to the room off to the side casually as Gav hesitated, “How’s he doing?”

She gave a small shrug as she stood to leave, “He’s pissed off about his shirt.”

Gav grinned, “Yeah, sounds accurate.”

Danse appeared apprehensively behind and stood inside quietly as Hancock emerged from the room, “You’re damn right I’m pissed off about my fucking shirt!” He casually stepped up next to Gavin, “Do you have any idea how old that shirt is? Not to mention being the entire symbol of-”

Gavin wrapped his arms around John suddenly, pulled him close and kissed him roughly, cutting off his tirade.

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Hancock was laying on the couch, head on Gavin’s lap and feet propped up on the opposite arm. He was looking up at Gav casually, “So ya joined the Brotherhood, huh? What the hell for?”

Danse piped up from the other couch, “Because it is a smart decision.”

John made a disgusted grunt and looked over to the Paladin as Gavin spoke, “They aren’t so bad. Besides, they actually want to do something about the imposing Synth problem, not just sit idly by being afraid while the Institute kidnaps people and amasses an army.”

“Have ya even gone to the Institute since…” Hancock glanced up at Gavin with his black eyes narrowed.

Gavin took a breath and shook his head, “For all the good it would do.” 

“It would do great good. You could find that fucking ‘not-courser’, as you put it, and stick a knife in his face for me.” John’s voice was dangerous and quiet. 

“I don’t think he’d be there.” Gavin lowered his voice, “Or even be the same after a memory wipe.”

Hancock grunted, “I don’t care if his memory was wiped. Knife. Face. Go.”

Dance interjected, “Actually, it would be beneficial for you to go to the Institute, if only for reconnaissance purposes.”

John motioned to the Paladin flippantly with one hand, “See? there ya go. An order from your CO.” He turned his head and grinned at Danse, “Is that right? _CO_?” He gave a little chuckle and turned back to Gavin, “We actually agree on somethin'. Who woulda ever thought...”

The Paladin shifted in his seat, but gave a nod despite himself, “You had told me that courser had acted strange, perhaps there is more to this than you think.”

Gavin sighed, “Isn’t it enough that I joined the Brotherhood with the intention of fucking Institute shit up? You want me to go there and play spy before we inevitably destroy them?” He motioned with his hand “I’ve told Maxson everything I know. I’ve even helped Proctor Ingram with her insane fifty-foot fucking robot...” Hancock lifted his head up slightly and widened his eyes in curiosity. Gav shook his head, “You know I hate going in there.” 

John rolled over and stabbed his knife into the table with a sudden thunk that startled the others. He sat up and turned to Gavin, “I don’t appreciate being shot. As you recall, my shirt was ruined.” He motioned to the knife, “If you don’t go, then I’ll find a way. I don’t imagine I would get far.”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

An air splitting crack of blinding light burst into the room then vanished, taking Gavin with it. Hancock rubbed his eyes and cursed at himself for staring directly at Gav when he relayed as he heard Danse gasp, “That was incredible!” John opened one eye and peered at him. The Paladin suddenly looked angry, “They cannot be allowed to have such a powerful technology. The sooner we finish them, the better.”

“You tinmen are so fuckin’ weird with your hoarding issues.” Hancock furrowed his brow at Danse. 

He narrowed his eyes at the ghoul, “it is not ‘hoarding issues’, it is in the best interest of everyone that the Brotherhood procures technology from those who would misuse it.”

Hancock blinked away the image burned into his retina, “Right, and you guys are so fuckin’ holy with your giant killbot and massive murder blimp. Who keeps _you_ in check?”

Danse had been standing and took a step forward to lean over Hancock and retaliate. In one eye-blindingly swift motion, John grabbed the knife from the table and stood up, poking it under the Paladin’s chin, “And don’t think I can’t see what’s going on between the two of you!”

“I...uh…” Danse put his hands up and backed away from the ghoul slowly, “What do you mean?”

Hancock pointed the knife after him, “I’m not stupid.”

The Paladin took a breath, “...So…”

John narrowed his black eyes dangerously, “So.”

He stared at the Paladin for an unnervingly long time before flashing a grin, flipping the knife in his hand and chucking it down into the table top, “I’m just fuckin’ with ya.” He plopped back down on the couch and fished a jet canister from his pocket while Danse stood in a stupor. John looked up at him with a serious expression, “Can’t think of anyone else I'd like to have his back than someone who cares for him as you obviously do.”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Gavin made his way through the large immaculate Institute to Synth Retention and almost literally bumped into X6-88 in the doorway.

“Sir.” The courser’s cold even tone was disturbing, “It is good to see you again.”

“X6.” Gavin motioned to the SRB with his head, “I’m looking for a courser.”

The dark skinned synth spread his hands slightly, “Here I am, Sir.”

Gav smirked, “No, X6, a different one. A specific one.”

X6 stepped back and escorted Gavin into the SRB proper, motioning with a sweep of his hand, “There are three remaining coursers, other than myself.” 

“What do you mean, ‘remaining’?” Gavin furrowed his brow as he entered the sitting area. He glanced over at three coursers in their black leathers sitting in pristine white seats around a table. None of them were the one he was looking for. 

“Four of our number from the SRB have been compromised.” X6 picked up a nearby clip board and pulled a paper free from it, handing it to Gavin, “Along with thirty-four synth units.” 

Gav balked, “Thirty-four? What the fuck?”

The courser’s calm voice was unnerving, “It began when one courser was somehow taken and memory wiped from someone on the outside with this knowledge. This courser, unit designation N8-42, was given false memories and turned into a spy. N8-42 relayed into the institute, disabled two more coursers with factory reset codes and relayed back out with them. Hours later the three returned and began a quick blitz theft of all thirty-four synth units and fourth courser before their relays were locked out.”

Gavin blinked at him, “What. The. _Fuck_.” 

X6 was unwavered by Gavin’s utter disbelief and irritation as he continued, “Seven of us remaining had made attempts to retain the missing units, losing three in a firefight with the stolen coursers and their accomplices. It is currently unknown if the three were completely destroyed or somehow salvaged.” 

“This is a serious fucking problem!” Gavin angrily motioned to the three remaining units with one hand, “One rogue courser and this whole place is fucked.” 

“Indeed.” X6 nodded sharply, “Sir, we have tracked the missing units to one location. However, it is unwise to send more synth units after the rogues so we are currently at a loss.” 

Gavin pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. The Institute would be its own undoing. However, someone up top had a shiny new army of synths to misuse and the Institute would undoubtedly just make more and attempt to sweep the whole mess under the rug as they had done with the FEV and super mutants. They had firmly believed the world above was corrupt and dying and would love to see it collapse entirely. 

Shaun was wrong. It pained Gavin to think of his sociopath son and his misguided vision for the Commonwealth.

He made it a point to stay as far from the man’s quarters as possible, though a part of him inside ached to see Shaun. He had tried several times to talk to him, make him understand that the people above ground weren’t all terrible and many just wanted to live their lives without the fear the Institute was causing them. There had to be a happy middle ground between the Institute’s vision for humanity and the people of the Commonwealth living happily.

When it was made known Gavin was to be the successor of his son, he had thought of things he could do with the Institute to mesh with the outside world better. However, even as the new Director, the scientists had made it abundantly clear they do not share his beliefs and would rather riot or die instead of trying to hear Gavin’s differing opinions. 

Gavin had forced himself into the revelation that Shaun was no longer his son, but a complete stranger. It had been painful, and would continue to sting as he knew one day soon he would probably be faced with the decision to put the man down.

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Gavin appeared back in the room with X6 standing casually beside him. Danse immediately had his laser rifle trained on the courser, Hancock had jumped up from the couch with his knife in hand and Fahrenheit moved between John and X6, weapon drawn.

“Stand down.” Gav put his hands out, fingers splayed as he looked directly to the Paladin. 

Danse did not move, “Why did you bring that thing here?”

Hancock relaxed only slightly as he narrowed his eyes and point his knife, “Hey, I know him. He’s that Institute lapdog from the Flotilla raid.”

Fahrenheit lowered her weapon a little at John’s words, but she continued to carefully regard the courser standing behind Gavin.

“There’s been a breach into the Institute,” Gav kept his hands held outward to Danse, who still did not move, “Several synths and coursers were taken by someone. We need to…” Gavin glanced back at X6 briefly, “Destroy them.” 

The dark skinned courser said nothing as he stood impassively stoic before them. 

The room was quiet with a thick tension until Danse finally lowered his weapon a few inches and growled, “If that thing even looks at me wrong I will put it down.”

  
  
  
  



	4. Combat Ready

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SS Gavin and Paladin Danse have outfitted an unlikely group to deal with the stolen synth and courser threat and start work training and planning. Gavin's little protege refuses to take no for an answer. Meanwhile, Hancock confronts Gavin about his feelings toward Danse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((okay, so i am taking a lot of liberty with the storyline now. i have inserted this plot into the bit of Brotherhood questline that deals with Danse and 'Blind Betrayal', moving it out of its original timeline... but don't worry...stick with me here....i have a plan. probably.))

  
  


  
“Let your plans be dark and impenetrable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt.”  
\- Sun Tzu, The Art of War -  


  
  


###  **Unexpected**

Shaine opened the crate on the forecastle carefully and furrowed his brow at the contents. He slowly reached in and pulled out a box of chocolate Sugar Bombs with curiosity. Someone had left him a gift, it seemed. He smiled as he read the words scrawled across the front, _‘keep it clear.’_ He tucked the box under his arm and removed a box of .50 cal rounds.

The boy walked the length of the metal catwalk to the edge and sat down with his cereal, placing his bag down in front of him. He opened it up and pulled out the cloth bundle inside, setting it down on the metal carefully and unwrapping it. He reached back into the bag and took out the other pieces one by one. Snapping the upper hand guard in place, sliding the lower guard into it, then setting the lower of the rifle in place with a satisfying couple of clicks as the pins set. Shaine tapped the magazine in and examined the weapon for a moment before grabbing a handful of sugar bombs, shoving them in his face, and laying down on his belly.

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The boy glanced around the sleeping quarters. Empty. He slid the half empty box of Sugar Bombs under his bed then quickly trot out of the quarters, down the stairs to the space directly below Maxson’s room. There was a large tool box tucked away in the space where people seldom tread. Shaine listened for oncoming footsteps, luckily the patrols in power armor were incredibly loud as they thumped their metal boots against the walkways.

Shaine opened the lid and stuffed his bag inside, adjusting the half stripped weapon within into the tight fit of the box. He was tucking the corner of his bag into position when he heard voices below him coming from the Command Deck. Shaine paused and craned his neck, straining his ears. He carefully closed the lid then stepped over the railing, hopping silently down onto the hull of the ship. He slid himself down underneath the catwalk to a spot he had made months earlier where a large lag bolt had been removed to offer a view of the command room underneath. 

He could see Maxson below and hear Paladin Danse speaking, “A strike against the Institute right now, as they have been weakened by the courser raid, makes perfect sense.”

“What about the small army of stolen synths and coursers? We don’t know their intentions. What if they mean to attack us while we’re spread thin?” Gavin spoke up from somewhere in the room. 

Maxson was silent for a moment in thought before he nodded, “Either of our enemies could easily take advantage of us as we attack one or the other. Even though the Institute has been crippled they are not to be underestimated. We don’t have enough forces for a double assault, or even a guard and assault. Even with Liberty Prime up and running we can’t risk it.” He paused then added, “And we still need to acquire Liberty Prime’s mini nuke payload for him to be fully operational.” 

Lancer Captain Kells spoke quietly from somewhere in the back, “How about a strike team that incorporates Minutemen? Gavin is their general, I’m sure he could muster them to our cause.”

Gavin’s voice lowered almost inaudibly, “I could have one or two men behind me who are combat ready. The Minutemen took a devastating loss recently and I have been working to rebuild them. The majority are just inexperienced settlers as of right now.”

They were all silent for a few moments before Danse spoke up, “We could gather some others that you have influence over. There are a few in Goodneighbor I believe to be fit for combat from what i’ve seen. MacCready, the assaultron from the gun shop, Fahrenheit, Hancock, not to mention a few members of the neighborhood watch.” He paused then carefully added, “Your courser contact, if it can be trusted.”

Maxson shook his head, “I’m not entirely comfortable with a ragtag group of rebels overseeing the safety of the Brotherhood in this matter. They are unruly, lack discipline and cannot be completely trusted.”

Gavin spoke up, “Yeah, but those fuckers will never see it coming.”

  
  


###  **Rebel Scum**

“Holy sh--” MacCready’s voice was an awed whisper as he stepped through the entry of the Airport and glanced up at Liberty Prime standing in the center of the tarmac.

“Ya got that right. That thing could do some serious damage.” Cait was overly enthusiastic, “I can’t wait ta see it smash some skulls.” 

Hancock glared at the monstrous robot as they walked past, “At least it’s on our side….for now.” He had no doubt that the Brotherhood would wish to cleanse the Commonwealth of ghouls after they stomped a mudhole in the Institute and Supermutant populations. Personally, he couldn’t care less if the Brotherhood was attacked, but Gavin had insisted on joining them and now things were more complicated.

Fahrenheit followed closely behind Hancock carrying her minigun, Ashmaker, eyeing Liberty Prime in slight wonder, though she remained quiet and unreadable as usual. She had remained completely serene even as Cait lewdly tried to get a rise out of her on several occasions during the flight.

Preston let out a whistle of appreciation. The man had been thoroughly impressed by most everything from the vertibird picking him up and dropping him off, to being underneath the Prydwen and in front of Liberty Prime.

Gavin led the pack with Dogmeat at his heel, alongside Danse and an escort of two suited up knights. They made their way into the secured storage center of the airport where four power armor suits stood open and ready for use. 

Cait immediately approached one of them and poked her head inside the helmet experimentally, “Now we’re talkin’!” 

Proctor Ingram watched them with a look of disdain as they examined the suits. She stood next to Gavin and Danse, “I’m not particularly comfortable with these civilians using Brotherhood power armor.” She watched one of the knights help Cait inside, Who was musing about having power armor cage fights, “Especially if they’re going to treat them like toys.” 

Danse watched Hancock stubbornly complain about using the armor before finally stepping inside as MacCready laughed with amusement. The Paladin furrowed his brow at the sight of the motley group, “Elder Maxson thought it would be a good tactical decision to outfit them.” 

Ingram shook her head, “They’re going to hurt my suits…and themselves.”

Gavin smiled as he watched Hancock experimentally work the armor’s hands in wonder then take a couple awkward steps, “Naw, they’ll be fine after some training.”

Fahrenheit took right to the armor, picking up Ashmaker and standing poised as if she were any other Brotherhood Knight while Preston immediately started experimenting with movements. MacCready watched with amusement as he stood with them, unarmored. 

Cait tromped oafishly toward Gavin, "Unless the next bloke we run into is armed with a can opener, I'd say we're good to go."

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

“Can I come with, Sir?” Shaine smiled up at Gavin exuberantly.

Gavin glanced around, “What are you doing down here, kid?”

The boy hiked his pack up onto one shoulder and shrugged, “I was sent to do some storage room detail for Knight Sergeant Gavil.” His eyes trailed down to the floor for a moment then back up, “But I’m done now. Can I come with you guys to training? Please? I’ll stay out of the way!”

Gav eyed the boy skeptically, “You’re full of shit, kid. Get your ass back up on the Prydwen.”

Danse approached, missing the kid’s lie completely, “Shaine. I was unaware of any squire training today.”

The boy stood at attention, “Sir. I was just asking Knight Gavin if I could join you for the power armor training. I could learn a lot and I’m on free time right now.”

Gavin gaped at the kid and turned to Danse with a look that read _‘really?!’_

Shaine beamed as Danse gave a curt nod, “Alright. Come along.” The Paladin turned and walked off briskly.

The boy’s grin couldn’t have gotten any bigger as he looked up at Gavin who pointed a finger at him sternly, “Oh, you’re _good_ you little shit…”

  


###  **~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Danse looked over to Gavin at his side who was laughing with Hancock as they walked. He was a little jealous of their closeness sometimes, which made him realize he actually had some sort of feelings toward the Knight. He had been with women of lower ranks in the past who just seemed interested in him for the ideal of the encounter. Being with someone of higher rank, Danse in particular who was revered by everyone in the East Coast Brotherhood, seemed to fulfill their command fetish fantasies. He had always felt unfulfilled and used, never a real relationship resulting.

Gavin made him feel completely different. He felt like he could actually call him a friend, which he now realized he needed after losing Cutler. After that incident, he had given himself entirely to the Brotherhood, swearing that there was no room for anything else in his life. Of all the people, it was Hancock, one night in a farmhouse together with Gavin, who had spoken to him about letting others get close. 

And he did.

Danse was intimate with Gavin on more than one occasion and felt he could completely trust and let himself go with the man. He often found himself longing for the next time he would be able to touch him. 

So here he was. Gavin between he and the ghoul. 

“We’ll set up here,” Danse pointed to a building on the edge of the previously cleared Easy City Downs, “MacCready and Gavin can take Shaine to the rooftop.”

The squire looked up at MacCready happily, who he was suddenly attached to since meeting him. The merc ruffled the kid’s hair and smiled down at him in a surprisingly paternal manner.

The Paladin surveyed the rest of the group, “The four of you will come with me through the Downs for tactical training and to get used to the power armor in different situations. We will cover basics today and get deeper into it the rest of the week.”

  
  


###  **Perception Check**

The radscorpion suddenly vaporized into a pile of hot glowing ash a few feet from where Gavin stood crouched on the hill. Hancock trudged over in his issued power armor suit and stomped a metal clad foot down, scattering the ash into a cloudy puff. He held the laser rifle up and laughed, “Okay, I gotta admit this is kinda fun.” He paused, “Don’t tell those tinheads I said that.”

Gav stood up and glanced down at the hole next to him left by the scorpion where it had burrowed out and came within close striking distance. “Your secret is safe.” He stepped up to John to continue their trek across the glowing sea. 

Hancock kicked a chunk of cement down the hill as they walked in silence. It splashed through an orange tinted puddle and clanked loudly against the remaining skeleton of what was once a car. The green storm around them flashed bright lightening through the haze, engulfing the entire landscape ominously. 

“Thanks for coming with me.” Gavin smiled behind the helmet of his armor, “I hate coming out here and I wouldn’t want to do it alone.”

“Plus I’ve saved your ass three times since we’ve gotten here.” John shrugged in his armor and added, “I like this training a lot better than what Dancer has the others doing right now. I get to be with you.”

Gavin motioned a hand to the landscape before them, “And this is so very romantic.”

Hancock chuckled and pointed out a couple walls remaining from a building, “We could have a nice picnic over there. Eat some radscorpion. Watch clouds.” He turned his head to Gavin, “I’m down for that.”

“You know, I almost like that idea.” Gav looked up at the clouds. “Almost.”

Hancock kicked another chunk of cement as they continued on. “So, Gav…” His voice turned more serious, “What’s up with you and Danse?”

Gavin nearly stumbled, “I...don’t really know…”

“I think ya do.” John didn't sound upset. “Even though I’m high more often than not, I’m incredibly perceptive. Probably all the mentats.” He gave a small chuckle.

Gav was silent for a few moments as they walked. Finally, he took a breath, “We’ve grown close since I joined the Brotherhood and I think I have some feelings for him,” He stopped and turned to face John, “That doesn’t mean I love you any less.” 

Hancock took his helmet off and held it in one hand. “I know.”

“What do you want me to do?” Gavin stood beseechingly in front of John, quietly searching his face for the sincerity he knew he would find.

John gave a little smile, “Been thinking about it a lot and I find that I’m not upset or anything. I'm comfortable knowing that you're out with Danse. He’s loyal and passionate about what he cares for and I have no doubt he'd lay down his life for ya.” He paused, his black eyes regarding Gavin, “I think you get things from our relationship ya can’t get from Danse…And things you get from him that I can’t offer.” He looked away briefly, “I dunno how well the three of us would work, but I’d like to try it.”

“The three of us?” Gavin had been expecting Hancock to leave him or tell him to stop being with the Paladin, he was somewhat taken aback by John’s proposal. Gav was quiet, “Don’t you two hate each other?” 

Hancock shrugged, “Naw. As far as tinmen go, Danse is a great guy. We actually have some similar ideals, we just go about it different. Just gotta work on that racism and pull the stick outta his ass. Even though it’s damn fun to get under his skin, I have some respect for him.” He hit Gavin with his helmet lightly on his armored chest, “Don’t tell him I said that.” He put the helm back on and motioned with his rifle, “But enough of that shit, let’s get this freakshow on the road.”

  
  


###  **A Meaningful Life**

Danse traced his finger along the large map set out before them on the table, “The line of sight from this building to the southern exit is wide open.” He tapped the map, “I think this spot here has a good seventy percent coverage.”

MacCready shook his head and pointed, “I like this one better. I’ve actually been inside. There’s a top floor window perfectly overlooking the western exit and it’s also parallel with the other rooftop across. I want in there.”

The Paladin thought for a moment then gave a curt nod, “Perfect. It also mostly covers the transverse rooftop.” He glanced over to Gavin beside him, “You can set up on that rooftop and cover the south.”

“Nope.” Gav shook his head and motioned to Dogmeat laying tentatively in the corner, “I’ve told you already, I’m the handler.” 

Danse straightened up and turned slightly to face him, “I would be more comfortable with you outside.”

Hancock pushed away from the nearby wall he had been leaning against, “Ya mean ya want him as far away as possible to stay safe.” He gave a very small half smile to the Paladin, “Ya know he won’t. Those assholes in there are most likely the ones who have been trying to manipulate Gav into whatever fucking plan they have. He has some shit to settle.”

X6 spoke up from the other side of the room, “Gavin’s fighting skills are far superior to those of the group and I believe he would do the most good on the inside. He has killed coursers in the past and has first hand knowledge of synth retention.”

Preston nodded in agreement, “Best to have him inside for several reasons.” He paused, “But we still need someone covering the other exit and I’m not good enough a sniper for that job.”

“I could do it.” Shaine’s voice held a calm confidence as he approached the table.

The group eyed him for a moment before Gavin shook his head, “No.” He gave Danse a dangerous look that dared him to challenge him this time.

MacCready’s voice was low, “I gotta kind of agree there.”

The Paladin clenched his jaw and looked away from Gav as Cait grinned, “I dunno, I think the kid could do good from what I saw him do the past couple days.”

Gavin glared at her, “There is a huge difference between lumbering brute muties and coursers. _One_ courser alone is tough to kill, there are at least four here, possibly eight. They can stealth, they’re fast and smart and have deadly accuracy.”

Shaine suddenly sounded years older than he was, “I was raised by the Brotherhood and I am bound by steel to my brothers and sisters. I’ve been trained for this and I’m not afraid. What would it matter if I fight to defend the Prydwen later from an attack if you fail or if I fight here and now where I could help? This is my life, the Brotherhood is my family, I want the chance to defend them honorably. If I die, it won’t be hiding away safely, I will go as a loyal hero and my name will be placed in the Codex alongside all those who have fought and fallen before me.” He stood tall and defiant, his eyes were hard and unblinking. 

All heads turned to Gavin, even Danse looked to him for a decision on the matter. Gav clenched his jaw hard and balled his fists tightly. After a few tense moments, he spoke quietly, “You’ll be alone. We can’t spare a knight to cover you. The only protection you’ll have is the small percentage MacCready can cover while not becoming distracted from his own job.”

The kid nodded slowly, “Understood, Sir.”

  
  
  
  



	5. Weapons Hot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit just got real.  
> SS Gavin and his rebel alliance take on the stolen synth army and their accomplices. He finally finds out who had orchestrated the torturous game he had been pushed into. The outcome wasn't as satisfying as he had hoped it would be...
> 
> “A walking...irony...fucking hell…Look at yourself!”  
>  _All this time...he was what he feared._  
>  “Wearing that _killer’s_ clothes…wrapped up in… _Brotherhood metal._ "

  
  


  
**Invictus: The Unconquerable**

Out of the night that covers me,  
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,  
I thank whatever gods may be  
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance  
I have not winced nor cried aloud,  
Under the bludgeonings of chance  
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears  
Looms but the horror of the shade,  
And yet the menace of the years  
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,  
How charged with punishments the scroll,  
I am the master of my fate:  
I am the captain of my soul.  


  
  


### 

**Weapons Hot**

Fahrenheit and two Knights, Alexis and Jexter, escorted Shaine to the southern rooftop, keeping him surrounded in the center of their metal mass as they quickly cleared the building on the way up. There were two synths sitting up in a room at the top floor and the armored Knights overtook them immediately. Shaine held a pistol in his hand and stood behind the Knights as they stormed the men in the room like an avalanche. The kid hesitated, he just stared at the two as they were laid down by the Knights’ power armored hands quickly. It seemed like overkill, one man’s head was nearly torn off and the other’s skull was crushed easily beneath metal fingers. Shaine’s eyes were wide as he looked the bodies over. Blood and gore pooled around their, very much human, forms. 

Alexis and Jexter left the room and Fahrenheit tapped the kid’s shoulder with the back of her armored hand, “You going to be okay?”

“They look just like anybody.” Shaine’s voice was quiet.

Fahrenheit firmly nudged him out the door, “This isn’t the time for second thoughts.”

Shaine stumbled out into the hallway then continued his way to the stairwell, “I’ve just…never seen a human body up close before. I’ll be okay…” His voice remained small and his hands were slightly trembling.

### 

  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

MacCready’s retinue made their way to the rooftop kitty-corner from Shain’s and jumped down at the same time as the other escorts, leaving the two snipers alone to cover the exits of the target building. They dropped down like boulders and landed hard, small rocks thrown into the air with dust clouds around their large armored feet. 

_Now their presence was most definitely known._

Fahrenheit and the two Knights busted in the southern door as Hancock, KL-E-O and Nick Valentine joined them. 

Cait kicked down the western door with a fit of laughter as it splintered around her metal boot, "Rather be off murderin' a pint, but this'll do!" 

Preston ran into the room immediately after her as Gavin, Danse, Dogmeat and X6-88 joined the second team.

###    


**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Hancock ran out of the room with Danse close behind and to the side, both laying down suppressive fire with laser rifles as they stomped to the next room and ducked inside. Two soldiers in power armor could almost fit side by side down a hallway, but not quite. The two teams had converged on the sixth floor of the apartment when they ran into trouble at the end of the hallway. Opposition had turtled themselves in a large room and continuously pelted the assaulting teams with minigun spray.

Preston, the two Knights, Valentine and Cait continued up to the next floor. Their armor was starting to show extensive damage from continuous assaults. The armored groups had been using their bulk to guard Valentine and X6 as they cleared rooms trying to use reset codes to disable synths. The list of codes seemed to only work on four units, shutting them down before the teams completely destroyed them. The rest appeared to be hacked into well enough to remove the reset fail-safes and they fought with the disorganized recklessness of wasteland raiders.

The team moved from room to room down the hallway playing leapfrog in small groups, thoroughly annoyed at the small spaces. Danse and Hancock were now in the closest room and there were no more to duck into between them and the force down the hall. The room across from theirs was caved in from above, the walls and parts of the seventh floor blocking the doorway, leaving Gavin and the others staggered in a room back behind with quite a ways to go to get to the hostiles hunkered down on the other side of the building like molerats in a burrow.

_If molerats spewed bullets in a never ending volley of deadly hail._

“How is it they never seem to run out of ammo?!” Hancock ducked his head back out the door and fired again then crouched down and charged his rifle, “I call bullshit.” 

Danse glanced down at the ghoul, “You can’t take many more hits in that suit.” He watched Hancock examine the busted plating covering his arms and chest, “Stay back, you can’t continue on.” 

John snorted and stood up, turning to the Paladin to say something when he suddenly drew his weapon, “Behind!”

The room shimmered in a spot behind Danse briefly as a courser opened fire into The Paladin’s back. Hancock rushed the invisible synth’s position as Danse turned to fire, but the room turned still once more. The two men stood back to back, searching for the slightest movement in the air. 

“Dammit,” Danse’s voice was angry but quiet, “Losing power.” 

Hancock turned slightly to look at the back of the man’s armor, “Looks like he fucked your power core. Sucks to be you.”

The Paladin fired a couple shots at the corner of the room as he thought he saw something move, “It’s trying to get us out of our armor. Keep it on no matter what.”

### 

  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Gavin picked up two syringes off a table and held them up in one armored hand, “Fahrenheit…” He tossed one at her as she turned around. Gav watched as she eyed the psycho syringe cautiously. He motioned a hand to the room they stood in, “We have to do something different or we will be stuck in here all damn day.”

_Something different meaning something suicidal and insane, apparently._

She gave a curt nod in agreement as Gavin moved back to the doorway. He yelled down the hall from cover, “On my mark.” 

He heard Danse yell back from the other room, “Negative.” There was a pause before he added, “Got a courser problem.”

Fahrenheit stepped closer to the door and stared at Gavin expectantly, motioning down the hallway with Ashmaker. 

X6 watched Gavin lift the Psycho syringe to the inner elbow of his arm and hesitate. The courser’s voice was, as usual, calm and even, “Things are about to get interesting.” He readied his rifle, “Sir, I am honored to know you and fight at your side.” 

_It’s not over yet..._

Gavin took a deep breath and stabbed the needle through the armor’s flexi-padding, Fahrenheit following suit directly after.

### 

  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

Hancock laughed and nudged Danse with an elbow as He heard Gavin and Fahrenheit yell down the hall with an insane feral rage. 

Danse yelled as he heard them thunder past, “No, not yet!”

Gavin and Fahrenheit ran past the doorway, KL-E-O following behind with X6. The group within desperately continued to fire on them from cover. Gavin was in front taking the brunt of the attack, bullets clanked off his armor, denting it and busting up his helmet to a nearly unusable state as Fahrenheit fired haphazardly down the hall from his side.

Dogmeat dashed into the side room and leapt up past Danse with a loud growl as he hit the invisible courser and knocked him down. The dog latched onto the synth’s arm and shook it violently from side to side. the surprised unit worked to protect his face and lifted his weapon to shoot the animal pinning him down. His invisibility wavered and dissipated, leaving him exposed just as he pulled the trigger and hit Dogmeat point blank in his armored head. Hancock fired several rounds into the synth as the K9 yelped and was knocked clear. 

The synth lay still as Hancock moved to him and stomped his metal boot down on his head for good measure. He opened his armor, quickly stepped out and took his knife from his hip, approaching the Paladin.

Danse had lost all the power from his suit and he stood helpless as he growled at Hancock, “Get back in your suit!” 

John stabbed the knife into Danse’s back and spoke quietly, “Make me…” 

“Dammit, John!” Danse turned his head slightly, “You’re completely exposed, don’t be foolish.”

Hancock stabbed again and wiggled his knife back and forth, trying to work out the destroyed power core. It had been damaged enough to jam it in tightly, but not bust the slot itself. He ignored Danse’s protests and finally popped the core out. He grabbed the core from his own suit and shoved it into the Paladin’s armor. “There we are…” He pat Danse on the shoulder as he walked around to the front of him, “Good to go.”

Danse stared down at the ghoul incredulously, “I can’t just leave you here with no protection.”

John picked up his rifle and shrugged, “I’ll be fine, my armor was pretty fucked anyway.” He motioned to the hallway, “They need you.”

Hancock moved to Dogmeat with a stimpack as Danse reluctantly ran out the door and down the hall to join the fight in the hallway.

###    
  


**Rush**

Gavin tossed his emptied laser rifle aside as he ran into the room and crashed the weight of his armor up against the lunatic firing the minigun. By the time he got to her, his armor was busted down to cracked and pitted plating over exposed frame in nearly every area. He could actually feel some of the shots hitting dented metal and biting into his skin. The woman bashed her minigun into his chest as he tackled her, slamming her to the ground roughly. Bones cracked underneath his armor and Gav sat up on his knees. As he pulled his arm back to crush her face, he was surprised to see that it was someone he knew. 

_Glory, the synth from the Railroad._

Right before his blow landed, she instinctively covered her face and raggedly muttered under the substantial weight of the armored man, “Not…now…”

He pulled back and stood with a little difficulty. Fahrenheit was beside him firing a spray of incendiary rounds throughout the room like a mad woman. Through the thick adrenaline rush and clouded mind he tried to work out the fact that these were all people from the Railroad in the room. 

KL-E-O rushed the nearest group of Railroad agents and torched them, setting half of the room ablaze in the process. She had been told not to use the fire, but she just couldn’t seem to help herself as she sprayed flames with glee into the wooden floor and half broken walls around the screaming group. The assaultron had drawn fire along with Fahrenheit, who managed to force everyone into immediate cover until Ashmaker overheated then ran out of ammo.

Fahrenheit made to rush a nearby agent who was hiding behind an overturned desk when the air suddenly shimmered behind her and fired into her power core. Gavin was quick enough to reach out toward the invisible courser and knock him aside. Unfortunately, he couldn’t see through his busted helmet enough to stop the damage to the redhead’s armor before it was already done. _Holy fuck their tactic was dangerously effective!_ He handed her Glory’s minigun to blow the shit out of the asshole behind the desk and he put his back to hers. The psycho was starting to wear off, returning coherent thoughts to them both as the rush subsided.

X6 moved through the large space, sticking to the sides and finding cover for himself as he fired with careful precision. He made his way closer to the busted up wall to an adjoining room where the majority of the defending forces hid. As he watched the air behind Fahrenheit move away he fired on it enough to damage the courser, forcing him out of invisibility. 

The assaultron turned from her barbeque and ran at the now exposed synth, stabbing him in the chest with the sharpened blades that she used as hands. If KL-E-O were capable of the facial expression, she would have been grinning maniacally. She had been out of action for far too long as she played shopkeeper in Goodneighbor.

The team moved around the broken wall that separated the large room from one on the side where the remaining opposition had taken cover. Paladin Danse entered behind them, immediately checking on Fahrenheit who had lost all power to her suit. She remained inside, however, _unlike a certain infuriating ghoul._

The fire on one side of the room grew and started filling the space with intense heat and smoke. The few remaining Railroad members were cornered in the room with no way out. Unfortunately they couldn’t just toss in grenades and be done with it, they had to make sure they got them all. 

_No survivors._

Gavin crouched behind the busted up wall and peered around cautiously. Through the cracked glass eyes of his fucked up helmet, he could see Desdemona in the back peering at him from behind a couch. 

“Well, come on then!” Her voice was filled with seething anger as she yelled at them. 

Danse stood over Gavin from cover and motioned to the growing fire, “We don’t have time for this.”

“No shit.” Gav looked up at him then back to the room. From what he could tell, there were probably only five people inside, though a few coursers were still unaccounted for. 

The Paladin returned fire at those inside as Gavin frustratedly pulled his wrecked excuse for a helmet off.

_“Soldier!”_ Danse barked at him then gave a loud annoyed sigh as Gav looked up at him with that bullheaded expression on his face that said he would do whatever he wanted regardless of what the Paladin ordered him to do.

Gavin pointed to KL-E-O and Danse then motioned into the room for them to bull rush the bitch in the back. He picked up a weapon from a nearby corpse, checked it, then nodded at the Paladin. 

Danse held his breath for a moment then ducked into the room, the assaultron following behind. KL-E-O cut to the side of the room and pinned some poor bastard to the wall before turning his face into soup. Gavin ran into the room after them and chucked his helmet as hard as he could at a boarded up western facing window. The heavy helm busted the rotted boards nicely, leaving sunlight to flood the room behind two bunkered agents. 

One of the two men moved slightly to fire on Danse as he thumped past, but was quickly cut short as his head suddenly exploded. Though it had been his line of thinking, Gavin actually gasped in surprise at MacCready’s quick reflexes. The second man’s very brief episode of panic was halted by another well placed headshot from the sniper outside. 

_It was fucking beautiful._

X6 entered the room last and easily took out the remaining agent just as Danse slammed his foot into the couch and shoved it back, pinning Desdemona against the wall behind it. The floorboards groaned under the Paladin as he slammed his foot back down to get around the sofa. 

Gavin made it to his side just in time for the floor to crack and fall away beneath him.

### 

  
**~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**

The small jagged outline of light above came into view in a blurred haze. Flames from above. Far above. Gavin blinked his vision back into focus and shoved the couch off of his chest with a loud grunt. Everything was muffled and foggy in his head as he tried to figure out exactly how many floors he had fallen through. Was it seven? It must have been. He worked to stand up in the dark corridor, his power armor frame locked at the knee and shoulder where it had twisted in on itself. 

He opened the suit, pushing himself roughly out of it through parts that didn’t want to fully release. Gav stumbled backwards and into a wall, leaning against it heavily as he tried to refocus on the muddled world around him. He was under the building. He blinked up at the pipes running along the cement hallway. 

_“Look at you…”_

Gavin startled and searched the room for the choked voice.

“A walking...irony... _fucking hell_ …” Desdemona was propped against a far corner. 

He approached her cautiously. She was bleeding and broken. 

She struggled a bit and sat up more as Gav narrowed his eyes, “What?” He felt inebriated and couldn’t quite concentrate. 

Desdemona laughed a ragged wet laugh, coughed, then spat blood to the side, “Look at yourself!” she attempted to yell at him but it only made her splutter into another coughing fit. 

Gav looked down at himself. He suddenly snorted as he realized what she was getting at. 

_All this time...he was what he feared._

Her voice quieted as she motioned slightly with one hand, “Wearing that _killer’s_ clothes…wrapped up in… _Brotherhood metal_. And you didn’t want to join our cause...so there you are...A tool for someone else.” She made a pained sound as she readjusted herself, “They’re going to...use you…and it won’t end well.” She laughed quietly. 

He glared down at her crumpled form with anger, “At least I joined of my own volition instead of being tricked into doing things I didn’t want to do.” He knelt down beside her as he felt an emotional coldness wash over him, “You have no idea what I went through because of your fucking game.”

She shook her head slowly, “There’s always another game.” Her voice was a quiet mumble. 

He stared at her as she closed her eyes, breathing shallow ragged breaths. She murmured something incoherent then whispered, “Sam…I’m coming home…”

Gavin spun around as he seen a flash of movement to the side. Someone ran down the hall. He took off after the figure, pulling his pistol out of its holster nestled against his side.

###    
  


**Become the Player**

"And here I was wanting to spend the day reading Proust. And then you have to ruin it." Deacon gave a nervous laugh and shook his head, “Looks like we underestimated you.”

Gavin trained Kellogg’s pistol steadily at the man’s chest, “Looks like it.” He narrowed his eyes, “Which one of you shot Hancock?”

“We had a plan A, B and a plan C,” Deacon ignored Gavin’s question, “You managed to fuck them all up.”

“Shoulda made a plan D.” Gavin’s voice was cold and quiet. 

Deacon stood casually, gun at his side, "The big three for predicting people; caps, beliefs, and ego. Get a handle on what's driving someone and you know where you stand." He furrowed his brow, “I thought for sure I had your number.” 

“You did.” Gavin lowered his pistol a little but did not relax.

“Well then, on that note you should have done a lot more damage somewhere along the line.” Deacon shook his head, “Those hired gunners didn’t even get to use you to ransack Diamond City before you slaughtered them. You saw through the Brotherhood facade immediately, which was rather annoying because I personally hoped you would have at least killed Maxson before figuring that one out.” He looked perturbed, “You weren’t supposed to start screwing around with that Paladin or even join those lunatic cultists. And we didn’t even know you had a courser buddy, so that fucked the Institute scapegoat that would have made the _backup_ backup.” He snorted in amusement, “This was supposed to take much longer. At least to the point where those Brotherhood bastards started their Institute raid. You sure do get around.”

Gavin glared, “You assholes fucked up when you shot Hancock. Why would you even bother?”

Deacon spread his arms slightly, “Actually, it was fucked up when he didn’t have the good decency to die like he was supposed to. After all, there’s nothing more dangerous than a man with nothing to lose. It would have been the turning point. You would have become complete destruction until we were done with you.” He laughed ruefully, “You would have blindly murdered them all. Your attachment to people will be the end of you,” His voice was quiet, “ _One way or another._ ” He paused and looked Gavin up and down, “For example,” His tone turned flagrant with a hint of amusement, “How do you feel about the little boy on the rooftop?”

Gavin jerked the gun back up and took a quick step forward with an angry snarl, “Is that your plan D?” 

Deacon lifted his own pistol just as quickly and stepped to the side, closer to the doorway he was standing near, “Always gotta have a way out.” He paused, staring Gavin down as they stood at an impasse, “Tell you what, lower your weapon, close your eyes and count to fifty and the courser up there with your kiddo will disappear, along with me...You’ll never see me again.” His voice turned dark and threatening, “If I don’t walk out of here, that kid will leave the roof the quick way down.”

Gav hesitated for a moment then shook his head slightly, “I’m done playing.”

A trail of three shots followed behind Deacon as he rolled into the room to the side. Gavin kicked open the door he stood next to, breaking the rotted wood frame with a loud burst of splinters. He squat down and pressed himself up next to the wall, listening for Deacon’s movements. He poked half of his head out and back in again quickly and was answered by three shots exploding into the wood next to him. Gavin ducked and cussed under his breath as he moved further into the room. 

Deacon tried to goad him out of cover, “Are we having fun yet?” When Gav didn’t reply he pushed further, “It was me, by the way.”

Gavin froze as rage threatened to blind him. He clenched his jaw hard and struggled to calm himself enough to think. 

“Did he suffer?” Deacon worked to keep Gavin angry, “Probably not as much as that little boy will. That makes two kids you’ve lost.”

Gavin grabbed the end of a metal desk and flipped it up on one side with a loud growl of anger. One of the two drawers fell out and crashed onto the ground, spilling its contents across the floor. He shouldered the desk to the door then hunkered down behind it, holding onto the frame of the drawers with one hand as he shoved it forward, driven by rage. He felt every shot that hit the metal as he pushed it down the hallway in front of him. He heard Deacon cuss and the shots paused as the man retreated further into the room. Gavin stopped just inside the doorway and stuck his gun out, firing a few shots blindly so he could peek around the desk. 

A few more shots hit his shield, two of them penetrated the metal near Gavin’s head. The large room was a disaster, overturned bookshelves and furniture made it impossible to move forward with his shield and Deacon was across the room behind a counter. Gavin fired two more shots at the man’s cover as he peeked around the desk. He could barely see the top of Deacon’s hair toward the end of his hiding spot. Gav crouched further down and reloaded his weapon as more shots clanged against the metal near his shoulder, then another hole appeared next to his face. He put the gun in its holster and listened as he heard Deacon eject his magazine with a loud clank against the floor. Gavin stood up and yanked the other drawer out of the desk with both hands and chucked it at the man’s head. The desk drawer crashed into the edge of the counter, flipped over and skidded across the top and down over Deacon’s head. Gav ran directly after the drawer, hopping over an overturned couch and pulling his pistol out as he spun around the end of the counter, firing three shots immediately at the crouching form. 

Deacon fell to the side and slumped against the cabinets with a short yell of surprise and pain. He lifted his pistol and Gavin stomped his foot down on the man’s arm, slamming his hand against the floor and forcing the pistol from his grip. Deacon laughed weakly as he slid further down, “Thought I had you pegged…”

Gavin glared down at him, “You did, until I learned how to play the game.” He gave a small tired grin and put two rounds in the man’s head.

###    
  


**Lost Pieces**

As Gavin limped quickly out of the burning building on the south side he heard six shots ring out in rapid succession from the rooftop in the distance followed by a louder shot from MacCready across the way. He suddenly felt sick as he slowed down and hesitated. 

Danse trotted up to him and put an armored hand on his shoulder, “Gavin, we have to go-”

He shook off the Palidan’s touch, “No…” He took a few steps forward, paused, then made up his mind and started toward the rooftop as quickly as his worn body would allow.

Knight Alexis, Cait, Danse, Valentine and X6 followed him to the spot Shaine had been stationed on the roof. Nothing was in the kid’s place but his empty sidearm, squire hat and splotches of wet blood.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, this might be what would happen if the railroad actually had plans and knew the brotherhood was probably going to take them out soon...if they are as well connected as they appear to be, they _should know_....and they _should_ plan.


End file.
